The Unforgiven
by Phoenix-Satori10
Summary: Jessie Carmichael has a secret. Austin Aries knows. Roderick Strong, Cassidy Riley and Raven must go to any lengths to save Jessie from her past, herself and the life Austin forced her to live. Story contains violence and drug use. Be warned.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** **Firstly:** An unbelievably HUGE thank you goes out to a good friend of mine, Lizzie, for helping me out with this story. Not only did she let me bounce my ideas and concerns off her, she also put the whole thing into chapters for me. She encouraged me to finish this story and to post it here for everyone to read. So, Lizzie, thank you. You're my absolute favourite RENThead and an amazingly talented writer to boot. Thanks for keeping my muse in line. HUGS

**Secondly:** This story is TNA related. It has TNA wrestlers in it, though I seem to have skipped most in ring action. If I get enough positive reviews for this, I will write a sequel which should have more in ring action in it. Well,here goes nothing...

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Jessie Carmichael closed her eyes as her boyfriend's fist headed for her. She felt the sting of the blow to her temple and bit her lip, trying as hard as she could not to cry out. Crying out would only make things worse, she knew. Another blow impacted with Jessie's skull and she felt her teeth bite through the tender flesh of her lower lip. 

The familiar taste of blood filled her mouth as she sucked on her lip, still not wanting to open her eyes. She knew he was far from finished using her as a punching bag. Another blow, this time an uppercut to her jaw, sent Jessie sprawling onto the floor of the hotel room. She tried to collect herself, tried desperately to curl into a ball, but he wouldn't allow it.

He was leaning over her now, his hands wrapped around her throat. He lifted her slightly before shoving her back down, her head hitting the floor hard. He continued doing this a few times but was rudely interrupted by someone knocking at the door.

A low growl escaped his throat as he released her and stood up. He kicked out at her before moving over to open the door slightly – just enough to see the person on the other side without them being able to see in.

"What?" He yelled, not caring who it was.

"Whoa, chill, Austin. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to a bar with me or something?" A slightly accented voice spoke up. Austin Aries sighed, weighing up his options, before replying.

"Yeah, alright, I could do with a drink. Give me ten minutes, Cass, and I'll meet you in the lobby." He decided before slamming the door in Cassidy Riley's face.

Jessie had stayed quiet, finally having curled herself into a ball on the floor. Austin walked over and stared down at her for a moment before spitting on her. He laughed as he walked into the bedroom to change. Jessie felt the familiar stinging in her eyes, meaning that tears were threatening to fall. She couldn't let it happen while he was there, couldn't let him see her being weak.

A little while later, Austin emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a pair of tight, black jeans and a long sleeved, black shirt. He regarded Jessie with a small amount of disgust before heading for the door of their hotel room.

"I'm going out. Clean yourself up before I get back." He ordered before leaving the room and slamming the door.

As soon as she was sure he'd gone, Jessie let out a sob of anguish. It was never meant to be like this, never! She couldn't remember when things had become this bad between them. All she knew was that she couldn't take much more. She slowly uncurled herself and sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest.

He wasn't the same person she'd fallen in love with almost three years ago. Now, he was some kind of monster. She wanted to believe that he still loved her, assured herself that she'd seen glimpses of the caring person he once was. But, as she sat alone in the hotel room, she knew those glimpses were getting further and further apart. Why couldn't she just tell him she was leaving? Why couldn't she just go and never look back? The answer was simple – as horrible as he was lately, he still had her heart. She loved him with every fiber of her being.

Wiping the tears from her eyes with the tips of her fingers, Jessie fought to keep herself under control. She had always been told that she was a strong person but this torment was killing her, both emotionally and physically. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if Cassidy hadn't arrived.

And, to think, all this because she'd come to Orlando to surprise Austin. A hollow laugh escaped her lips as she battled to get to her feet. Maybe her friends had been right. Maybe Austin didn't love her anymore. No, she couldn't believe that, refused to entertain the notion any longer. Austin loved her, she knew it, even if he didn't show it the way he used to.

Walking into the bathroom, Jessie gasped as she spied her reflection in the mirror. Large bruises had already begun to appear on her neck, jaw and around her temple/eye region. Covering this lot up with makeup wouldn't be easy. Blood was still flowing from her lip, though it had lessened since she'd stopped sucking on it. After wetting a washcloth, Jessie tentatively wiped the blood off her chin and lip.

"Fuck. That's going to need stitches." Jessie spoke hoarsely, the near strangulation causing her to bless every small amount of air she could now take into her lungs.

After cleaning up the blood, changing clothes and covering the bruises on her face and neck as best she could, Jessie wondered what she should do next. Her lip really did need to be stitched but she had no idea where any emergency rooms or other medical facilities could be found, being a stranger to Orlando.

Finally, Jessie pulled her cellphone from her bag and searched through its phone book to find someone who might be able to help. Taking as deep a breath as she could, Jessie hit the button to make the phone dial the number. The call rang a few times before being answered.

"Rod here, talk to me." Roderick Strong's usual jovial greeting filled her ears.

"Rod, its Jessie... I kind of need a little help. Can you come to Austin's room?" Jesse requested, forcing down a sob of despair.

"Are you okay? What's happened?" Roderick asked, concern in his voice.

"I'll explain when you get here. Please, Rods?" Jessie pleaded.

"Is he there?" Roderick wondered.

"No, he went out with Cass." Jessie assured him.

"Alright. See you shortly." Roderick fare welled before ending the call.

Jessie dropped her cellphone back into her bag and found the keys to her rental before zipping the bag up and hanging it off her shoulder. She moved to the door and looked out the peephole, praying to see Roderick rather than Austin returning early. A few moments later, Roderick came into view and knocked on the door.

Jessie turned the door handle and pulled the door open. Roderick stared down at her for a moment before his eyes turned glassy and vacant. He pushed her back into the room and closed the door before inspecting his friend's injuries. Even though she'd tried to hide them, he knew what to look for.

"What the fuck happened this time?" Roderick asked, moving the collar of Jessie's white polo shirt gently so he could see the bruising around her neck.

"I guess I pissed him off." Jessie shrugged.

"How?" Roderick pushed.

"Um... by turning up here without calling first. I wanted to surprise him." Jessie admitted.

"I'll fucking kill him. I don't care what excuse he thinks he has to hit you, it isn't valid. He should never lay his hands on you, Jess. Never." Roderick stated strongly. Jessie sighed.

"Can you avenge my honor later? I think my lip needs stitches and I might have a slight concussion from having my head hit the floor a few times." Jessie informed him, feeling for the lump that was forming on the back of her head.

"Yeah, come on, let's get you checked out. I'm driving, though." He decided as he took her keys from her.

She was about to protest but knew it would be futile. If she did have a concussion, it would be safer to have him driving anyway. She followed him out of the hotel room and towards the elevator, a dull headache starting to emanate from the back of her head. She was tired, so tired, of calling on friends to help her after Austin had hurt her. If it wasn't Roderick while she was visiting TNA in Orlando or Tennessee, then it was her best friend Lacey at home in Milwaukee.

The drive to the nearest emergency room was quiet, neither occupant of the car wanting to be the first to break the silence. Finally, as they pulled into the parking lot, Roderick spoke up.

"Why do you stay with him? I mean, this keeps happening and yet you don't leave him. I don't understand it, Jess." He queried. Jessie's brown eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she replied.

"I love him and I know, somewhere deep down, he loves me, too." She said simply.

"Love isn't shared with a fist." Roderick tried to get her to admit it to herself.

"Drop it, Rods. I just want to get my lip stitched up so I can go back to the hotel and get some sleep before Austin gets back." Jessie brushed his concern aside.

"Fine. Whatever you say." Roderick agreed through clenched teeth, letting Jessie know the discussion wasn't completely over.

After getting her lip stitched and being checked for a concussion (she had a mild one), Jessie allowed Roderick to lead her back to the car. She knew he'd start asking more questions and she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. She was well aware that he was just trying to look after her, like any good friend would, but Jessie was more worried about how Austin would react if he found out that she'd talked to Roderick.

"So... now what?" Roderick asked as he started the car. Jessie sighed.

"I need a rest. Back to the hotel, mister driver." She joked.

"Fine, but you're staying in my room tonight." Roderick decided. Jessie glared at him.

"I don't need to be babysat, Rods. I'll be alright." She assured him.

Roderick was well used to her attitude. They'd been friends for years now, having met while Austin and Roderick were touring the independent wrestling circuit. They'd formed a friendship quickly, often hanging out together while Austin went out drinking with anyone who invited him. Roderick considered her the closest thing he had to a sister and hated seeing her hurt in any way.

"Fine, we'll have a movie night then. Pop some popcorn, get some drinks. What do you say?" Roderick tried.

"That's the same as you babysitting me and you know it. Besides, I'm too tired to focus on anything right now." Jessie admitted.

"Not even Johnny Depp?" Roderick teased.

"Aw, well, when you put it that way... throw in Orlando Bloom as well and you'll have a deal." Jessie gave in.

"Pirates of the Caribbean it is, then." Roderick laughed as he headed for the local Blockbuster.

Jessie waited in the car while Roderick ran in to get the movie and popcorn. She pulled her cellphone from her bag and groaned as she saw she'd missed a call. Hoping it was Lacey, Jessie called her voicemail. The voice that blared through definitely wasn't that of her best friend.

"Jessie, where the hell are you? Call me." Austin commanded.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Jessie mumbled as she ended that call and dialed Austin's number.

"Aries." Austin answered the call.

"Hey, baby, it's me." Jessie told him, hoping she sounded calm.

"Where the hell are you? I came back to the hotel and you weren't here." Austin queried.

"I'm... um... Rods and I decided to watch a movie tonight so I drove him to Blockbuster. We'll be back in a little bit, babe. Want me to get you anything?" Jessie bluffed, hiding the fact that she'd been to the emergency room.

"Just get your ass back here. Tell Rod that plans have changed. No movie night." Austin ordered.

"I can't do that... I mean, he's renting a movie right now. I haven't seen him in a while so I thought it would be good to catch up with him." Jessie reasoned, nervously twirling a strand of her honey blond hair around one finger.

"This isn't negotiable, Jessie. If you're not back here in ten minutes, I'll find you and Roderick and beat the living shit out of him." Austin threatened.

"Alright, alright. See you soon." Jessie stated before Austin hung up on her.

"Asshole." She mumbled as she threw her cellphone back into her bag.

Jessie slid over into the driver's seat and started the engine. She could see Roderick at the counter and knew he wouldn't be much longer. She tapped one foot on the floor of the car in anticipation, wishing he'd hurry up. The last thing she wanted was for Roderick to become Austin's next victim.

As Roderick left the Blockbuster, Jessie started backing the car out of the parking space. Roderick managed to get in before Jessie drove off, tires squealing as she did. He looked over at her and sighed.

"He called, didn't he?" He figured.

"Yeah. Sorry, Rods, but I can't hang out with you tonight." Jessie told him.

"So, you're just going to blow me off and go get beat up some more? Stupid plan there, Jess." Roderick replied, hoping she'd change her mind.

"Well it sure beats watching him hurt you." Jessie reasoned as she took a turn rather quickly.

"What? As if! He wouldn't try, Jess. He gets his thrills from hitting a girl. As tough as you are, that's the truth and you know it." Roderick pointed out when she glared at him for calling her a girl.

"Let's not test your theory, alright? I don't want you getting beat up for helping me." Jessie reasoned.

"And what about when he sees the stitches in your lip? What excuse are you going to give him?" Roderick wondered, knowing she had one in mind already.

"I'll tell him I hit it on one of the cupboards in the kitchen. Please, don't say anything about it to him. I go home in a couple of days and then everything will be fine." Jessie assured him, although he thought she was trying to convince herself of it more than him.

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**A/N2:** It's so great to finally be posting again. For those people that were reading my story 'Indiana' I apologise sincerely for not updating. I've lost the motivation for that story at the moment. I may come back to it at some point but, for now, I'll focus on posting this and finishing the other stories I've got going on my computer. Anyways, enough ranting from me. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the first chapter. Flame it if you think it needs flaming. Any criticism will be taken into account. Thank you. 

**_Phoenix_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Hm... only two ego feeding reviews for the first chapter (so far). That doesn't help with the nerves of posting a new story. Oh well. Thanks to Lizzie and DiMeraslover for the awesome reviews. Much appreciated. Slight warning for this chapter: bad language and one very bad situation for Jessie to be in.

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When they got back to the hotel, Jessie hugged Roderick goodbye and then ran for the elevator. She was going to be cutting it fine but she wanted to make sure Austin wouldn't go after Roderick. As the elevator doors opened to let her out, she came face to face with Austin. He looked her up and down as she exited the confines of the elevator box. 

"What happened to your lip?" He asked as she stood in front of him.

"I whacked it with a cupboard door, put my tooth through it. Nothing major, only two stitches." Jessie shrugged, forcing herself to keep eye contact with him.

"And then you called Roderick, I assume?" Austin pressed her for more information.

"Yeah, I figured it would need stitching but I didn't know of any emergency rooms around here. Roderick took me to one and then suggested the movie night." Jessie answered, trying to keep her voice as light as possible. The last thing she needed to do was provoke him in the middle of the hallway.

"Was he... upset that you ditched him?" Austin wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really. I did come out here to spend time with you, after all." Jessie smiled slightly, wincing at the pull of the stitches in her lower lip.

"Let's spend some time together then, shall we?" Austin smiled as he took Jessie's hand and lead her towards his hotel room.

A small amount of fear sent shivers up her spine as she followed him. He was being too calm... he had come back early... why? Usually if he went out drinking – especially with Cassidy – he wouldn't be back until the wee small hours of the morning. It was evident by the smell of his breath that he had had at least one drink, how many more had he consumed in the small amount of time they were apart? And what the hell was that mark on his neck?

"Austin, baby... what's this?" Jessie asked, brushing her fingers lightly over the mark on the side of his neck.

"What's what?" Austin wondered, not slowing his pace.

"You have a mark on your neck. It looks an awful lot like a hickey." Jessie informed him. Austin's free hand moved to his neck and rubbed at the mark. This told Jessie that he knew exactly where it was – and what it was.

"It's just a bruise. One of the guys slipped while we were in the ring earlier." Austin told her. Jessie could see his left eye twitching. He could never lie to her, that twitch always gave him away.

"It doesn't look like a bruise, Austin. It looks pretty fresh. And, surprise surprise, there's pink lipstick on your collar. Try another lie." Jessie offered, pulling her hand free of his. Austin turned on her.

"Well, that's rich coming from you! Why don't you tell me what really happened to your lip? And the truth about you and Roderick – I know you've got the hots for him!" He yelled, pushing her so that her back was pressed against the wall.

Austin put his arms either side of her head, his hands flat against the wall. He was only inches away from her face and Jessie knew he was mad – possibly madder than he'd been when he'd beat her up earlier. Another shiver of fear raced up her spine as she tried to keep herself under control.

"Fine, the truth about my lip is that I bit it while you were hitting me earlier. I had to bite it to stop myself crying out otherwise things would have gotten worse. As far as Roderick is concerned... you have it all wrong. The only person I have the hots for around here is you... or was anyway. Now your turn for the truth... are you cheating on me?" Jessie asked straight out.

Austin glared at her, the hatred in his eyes only increasing in power. Jessie knew he was about to explode and could only hope it would be over sooner rather than later. She wasn't sure how much more pain she could stand. She could never decide which was worse – the physical pain or the emotional pain of having someone she loved hit her.

"How dare you even ask me that! I can't believe you don't trust me! Have you got a guilty conscience or what?" Austin accused, his face turning redder with every word he spoke.

"The evidence is right there, Austin! Pink lipstick and a hickey. When have I ever, EVER, come to you with a hickey on my neck that you didn't put there? And you try telling me that I'm the guilty one? Please!" Jessie yelled in his face.

She hadn't wanted to make a scene in the hallway but that was exactly where they were. Austin's room was still a few doors away on the other side of the hall. She was pressed up against the wall quite near the door to another hotel room. Austin's face had screwed up in rage and Jessie knew what would come next.

Sure enough, Austin pushed himself away from the wall and stood in front of her, flexing his hands in and out of fists. His self control wouldn't last much longer, Jessie knew. She was pretty sure she wouldn't have to say anything else before he turned violent.

"Fuck you, Jessie! Always trying to be the innocent one! You're not as innocent as you make out, though, are you? I know all your dirty little secrets, babe, don't ever forget that!" Austin warned through clenched teeth.

"How the hell can I forget when you remind me every damn day? Why don't you just come right out and tell me you don't care about me, Austin? Why can't you set me free instead of using me the way you do?" Jessie screamed, shoving Austin back into the opposite wall.

Austin snapped. He advanced on Jessie and slammed her back into the wall, placing a hand over her mouth to stop her screaming for help. With his free hand, he grabbed for her thigh, lifting her leg off the ground slightly and pressing himself into her. He leaned in and kissed her on the neck, making a point of biting slightly. She jumped at the sensation. Austin almost felt like laughing at the fear he saw in her eyes.

"But using you is so much more fun, baby. Now play nice and I won't have to hurt you. Then again, you truly like the pain, don't you? I'll make it hurt, just for you. I'll have you begging for more, won't I, sweetness." Austin smirked hungrily as he hooked her leg around his waist and then moved his hand to the button and zip on her tight black pants.

Jessie couldn't breathe with Austin's hand over her mouth and the panic rising in her throat. He was crushing her swollen lip against her teeth, the stitches splitting as he tried to maneuver her into a better position with his free hand. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision as she felt his hand snake down the front of her pants. She tried to get free, struggled against his weight, but got nowhere. She stopped fighting, giving in to the sobs of anger, fear and frustration as Austin's hand continued its quest. She clenched her eyes closed, praying for it to be over. And then it was.

"Hey, Aries! It doesn't look like she's enjoying that too much. Let her go." A gruff voice spoke up off to one side of them.

Jessie opened her eyes and tried to turn her head in the direction of the voice but couldn't. Austin's grip on her was too strong. Jessie silently pleaded that the person would help her. Whoever they were, they had definitely gotten Austin's attention.

"Fuck off! This is none of your damn business!" He yelled at them. Jessie again began to struggle, hoping this renewed fight wouldn't be in vain.

"Well, if you didn't want me to be part of it, then you shouldn't have started it outside my room. Let her go or I'll show you exactly how she's probably feeling right now. Trust me, that would be more fun for me than it would for you." The person stated with a slight laugh. Austin pulled himself away from Jessie slightly, leaving his hand over her mouth.

"For the last time, Raven, FUCK OFF!" Austin ordered. Jessie managed to turn her head just enough to see Raven shaking his head slightly.

"Wrong answer." He smiled before reaching over and pulling Austin off Jessie.

Jessie collapsed to the ground, sobbing, barely registering what was happening around her. By the time she realized what was happening, Raven was kneeling down in front of her, talking to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked calmly, noticing that her attention seemed to be fixing on him finally.

Jessie couldn't answer. She looked around the hallway, trying to spot Austin. She needed to know where he was, needed to know what had happened. How had it ended up this way?

"Don't you worry about him. I gave his ass a good kicking and sent him to his room. Can you stand up for me? We really need to get you out of this hallway." Raven told her, trying to keep his voice calm so as not to panic her any further.

She was vaguely familiar to him – he'd seen her around a few times before, when she'd visited Austin previously. Raven had been able to tell, just by looking at her, that things weren't right in their relationship. He'd quietly observed from a distance, knowing she probably wouldn't have accepted his help – until now. Austin had taken it too far, had tried to control another human being past the point of reason.

Jessie felt Raven helping her to her feet but she didn't aid his efforts. She was like a dead weight. Her lip was bleeding again, blood pouring down her chin. She could taste the metallic tang in her mouth. All she could think about was Austin. Where was he? Why wasn't he the one helping her? How had everything gone so horribly wrong?

"Come on, girl. You can rest a while in my room, you'll be safe." Raven assured her, gently leading her over to his door.

Jessie's tears had mixed with the blood from her lip, making it run in rivers down her neck and off her chin. Her white shirt was now stained with red. In that one moment, Jessie knew nothing would be the same again. It was over... everything she'd believed in and hoped for was over. She didn't utter a word as her world crashed down around her.

As Raven led the girl over to the couch in his hotel room, it struck him that he didn't even know her name. He tried to remember if he'd ever heard it mentioned but came up blank. He helped her settle herself on the couch and then knelt in front of her again.

"I know you don't know me... I'm Scott Levy, or Raven. Can you tell me your name?" Raven asked quietly, still not wanting her to be afraid of him.

Her silence was all he got in return – until her cellphone rang in the bag he'd brought in with her. He offered the bag to her but she stared straight through it, as if it wasn't even there. Figuring that it was probably Austin calling her, Raven tipped the contents of the bag onto the floor between them before pulling the cellphone out of the pile. He hit the button to accept the call and put the phone to his ear without saying a word.

"Jessie? Jess... you there?" A familiar voice asked on the line.

"Strong?" Raven wondered, wanting to be sure.

"Yeah... this is Roderick Strong. Who are you and what are you doing with Jessie's cellphone?" Roderick asked, puzzled by the stranger answering his friend's phone.

"It's Raven. Ah... there's been a bit of a... problem." Raven told him, not sure how best to put it.

"What? Is Jessie alright? What the hell happened?" Roderick asked, panic edging into his voice.

"Aries was trying something with her and she was clearly not into it. Jessie's a little shaken up, I think... and her lip's bleeding pretty bad..." Raven tried to fill him in but Roderick cut him off.

"Fuck! She had stitches put into her lip not even two hours ago. Where's Jessie now? And Austin?" Roderick asked in a rush.

"Jessie's in room 509, with me. Austin's... fucked if I ever see him again." Raven figured, not really caring about the instigator of all the trouble.

"I'll be right there. God help Austin if I see him on the way." Roderick vowed, the icy tone of his voice letting Raven know he meant it.

"If you're a friend of Jessie's then I'd say she needs you more than you need to hurt Aries." Raven advised.

"I'm on my way, just waiting for the damn elevator." Roderick told him before ending the call.

Raven dropped the cellphone carefully into the pile of Jessie's belongings on the floor. She hadn't moved or made a sound while he'd been on the phone. The only sign that she was really still there was the slight sparkle in her eyes when Raven had mentioned Roderick's last name. It had since faded.

"Roderick's on his way. Let's get that blood cleaned up, shall we?" Raven smiled slightly.

The sparkle returned to Jessie's eyes momentarily (at the mention of her friend's name) before more tears streamed from them. She sat, lost in her own world, as Raven moved around, finding a washcloth and wetting it. He returned to the couch and knelt in front of her to assess the damage to her lip while trying to clean up the blood. Jessie winced every time he touched her and pushed his hands away, not even aware that she was doing it.

Raven gave up just as someone knocked at the hotel room door. Raven excused himself from Jessie and let Roderick into his room, grabbing the younger man's arm to stop him from going straight to Jessie's side. The concern in Raven's eyes startled Roderick slightly.

"Just thought you should know that she hasn't said a word to me. I'm figuring that this wasn't the first fight between her and Aries." Raven guessed, having taken in the sight of the bruising to Jessie's face and neck.

"He hit her around a bit a few hours ago – that's what the split lip and fresher bruises are from. Even that wasn't their first fight and it probably won't be the last. I swear to god, she doesn't have an evil bone in her body. She doesn't deserve to be treated like this." Roderick fumed.

"So... why does she put up with it?" Raven wondered, glancing over at the young woman who had yet to register Roderick's appearance in the room.

"She says she loves him and that, deep down, he loves her too. I've tried to get her to see that it isn't right – so has her best friend in Milwaukee. I can't watch him tear her apart anymore... I just can't." Roderick confided, coming close to tears as he looked over at his female friend.

"Go see if she'll talk to you... or at least let you clean up a bit of the blood. I can't tell how bad her lip is yet." Raven urged.

Roderick nodded, thankful for the distraction, before heading over to the shell of a person who was sitting on the couch. She'd lost so much of herself, thanks to Austin and his 'love'. She was no longer the happy, vibrant, lively young woman that she'd been when she'd first caught his attention at a mutual friend's party.

He couldn't even remember the last time she'd cracked a joke, laughed or even smiled. Austin was killing her, a little bit at a time, and it was killing Roderick to see it happen right in front of him. Every time he'd tried to make her see what Austin was doing, she'd turned her back on him and clung to Austin even tighter.

Roderick and Lacey really were at a loss as to how to get Jessie away from Austin safely. They knew they had to do it sooner, rather than later. If they waited too long, Austin would take things that one step too far and physically kill her instead of continuing with the emotional death he was currently putting her through.

"Hey, Jess. You okay?" Roderick asked quietly as he sat down beside her on the couch.

She turned to look in his general direction but didn't focus on him, nor did she reply to his question. Roderick picked up the washcloth and held it in both hands for a moment, trying to gather his strength in order to help his friend... again.

"I have to clean the blood off you so I can tell how bad your lip is now, okay." He told her before slowly raising the cloth in one hand.

As the cloth connected with the skin of her chin, Roderick watched her flinch. She tried to push his hand away but he grabbed both her hands in his free one and held onto them tightly. Fear crossed her face as she realized her hands were trapped and she began to struggle.

"Baby, it's okay. It's just me... I don't want to hurt you but I need to take care of that lip. Please don't fight me, Jessie-bear, please." Roderick pleaded, using the nickname he and Lacey often used when talking to her.

Upon hearing it, Jessie visibly relaxed and stopped fighting. Jessie's eyes focused on Roderick and he caught a faint sign of life behind them... as if she'd put up a fence between them but then peeked through a gap in the planks of wood. He smiled, hoping to reassure her that everything was alright, before once again raising the cloth to her chin.

This time, she didn't fight. Her eyes glazed over again and she stayed quiet. When he'd cleaned up as much blood as he could, Roderick inspected the state of Jessie's lip. The stitches had been pulled almost completely out and the wound looked almost twice as big as it had when he'd taken her to the emergency room. Raven watched from a little way away as Roderick sighed and hung his head.

"She's going to need to be stitched again." Roderick stated, loud enough for Raven to hear him.

Raven could tell that this was almost the final nail in Roderick's coffin, as if he was the one dying from every blow that Austin had delivered to Jessie. He walked over and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder and squeezed slightly, letting him know he had support now. Roderick looked up and offered a weak smile.

"Guess I should take her back to the emergency room. They'll probably ask a bunch of stupid questions about it." He sighed again and dropped the washcloth onto the table.

"We could always wait until the morning and take her to see the team doc." Raven suggested. Roderick thought it over and nodded.

"That would work." He figured before looking over at the woman sitting next to him. Another sigh.

"She's out of it. She won't care if we wait. I... I don't know what to do anymore. How the hell do you help someone that won't admit that there's a problem?" Roderick begged for advice.

"Well... now that this has happened, chances are she may see there's a problem." Raven shrugged. Roderick got to his feet and began pacing in front of the older man.

"I doubt it. It's been worse, honestly. She'll shrug it off and still claim that he loves her, somehow." Roderick figured.

Raven looked past the pacing man to stare at Jessie. She hadn't moved, had barely blinked. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes glazed over. Raven hung his head, fighting to keep his memories down so he could try to help the two people in front of him that clearly needed it. His past would be an invaluable tool in doing this, so the memories probably wouldn't stay buried for long.

"Look, why don't you go get some sleep? She can stay here on the couch but... I'm rooming with Cass and he'll probably be back soon." Raven reasoned. Roderick looked up and almost laughed.

"Austin was out with Cass between his beatings on Jessie. I'm surprised Cass didn't come back with him." He said, clearly confused as to why Austin came back alone.

"I'll talk to Cass when he gets in, see if he knows why Austin left. Now, seriously, go get some sleep. She'll be safe here." Raven assured. Roderick looked back at Jessie and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks. Call me in the morning?" He wondered.

"Sure. The two of you can ride in with me, if you want? Cass can find his own way." Raven offered.

"That would be good. Thanks again." Roderick nodded before going over to Jessie.

"Hey, Jessie-bear. I'm going to go get some sleep. You'll be safe here so you should try to sleep too. You know you can call me if you need me." Roderick told her.

It looked to Raven like he wanted to say more but, instead, Roderick turned and left the room. Raven set about making a bed on the couch for Jessie who remained silent the whole time. Her eyes occasionally followed his movement but she tended to stare off into the distance, not focusing on anything at all. Once the bed was made, Raven turned to Jessie.

"I'll get you something to sleep in from Cassidy's bag. It'd fit you better than anything from my bag. You can change in my room." He told her before disappearing into Cassidy's room. He emerged a few moments later with a pair of gray sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt.

After receiving the clothes, Jessie wandered into Raven's bedroom and closed the door behind herself. She leaned back against the door and hung her head. Having heard every word that Roderick had said to Raven, she knew he didn't understand her – or Austin. And how could he? He'd never been as in love as they were.

Jessie laughed a hollow laugh and threw the clothes onto Raven's bed. Roderick was jealous, that's all. They all were. None of them understood the feelings and passion she shared with Austin. Things like that didn't happen every day, so she couldn't blame them. She pitied them, more than anything. She was sorry that they'd never been in love to the point of losing themselves in the other person.

"Jessie? You okay in there?" Raven called as he knocked on the door.

Jessie stayed quiet, moving to sit on the end of Raven's bed. She didn't know what to do now. Roderick didn't understand, Lacey was in the same frame of mind as Rods so that didn't help her any. The only person she could think of that even possibly cared now was... Raven. And she wasn't sure why. Raven banged on the door again, this time waiting until afterwards to speak.

"Jessie, look. I know you're not up for the whole talking thing right now but I need some sort of sign that you're okay or I'm just going to open the door. That may make things a little awkward between us if I walk in on you changing, ya know? So, all I ask is that you... uh... knock twice to let me know you're okay. If you need help, knock once." Raven requested.

Jessie sat staring at the door for a moment. She sat there until Raven rattled the doorknob. Then, in one swift motion, Jessie moved to the door and knocked on it twice. On the other side of the door, Raven smiled.

"Thank you. I'll leave you to it, then. If you need any help, feel free to let me know." He told her before walking away.

As he walked back over towards the couch, he caught sight of the mess he'd made when he'd tipped the contents out of Jessie's bag when her cellphone had rung. Getting onto his knees, he grabbed the bag and began stuffing things back into it. As he grabbed for something else to put into the bag, his hand came to rest on something familiar to him. He dropped the bag to the floor and held up a syringe. The contents, too, seemed familiar to him. He sat back on his heels and stared down at the syringe, the needle glinting as it caught the light.

"You have got to be kidding me." He mumbled before dropping the syringe onto the coffee table beside him.

Raven finished putting things back in Jessie's bag and zipped it up, leaving it sitting just below the pillow he'd left for her on the couch. Then he turned his attention back to the syringe. Every fiber of his being wanted to barge into the other room and confront Jessie about it but he knew there would be no point. He'd never listened when his friends had tried to convince him that his drug habit was killing him. Why would Jessie listen to a total stranger?

Instead, he tucked the syringe into the pocket of the jeans he was wearing and paced the room, trying to work out what to do next. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Jessie leave the safety of his room. She stood behind him, watching him pace the living room. Her eyes gently traced the tattoos she could see on his shirtless torso.

After staring at him for a few moments, Jessie walked further into the room and over to the couch silently. Noticing her bag sitting there, Jessie picked it up and placed it on her lap on top of her folded clothes as she sat down. Raven watched her movements now that he knew she was there. He wondered if she'd bother checking her bag or if she'd just put it aside. Jessie caught his eye for a moment before looking away.

"Well, I guess I'll let you get some sleep now. Like I said before, if you need anything, let me know. Cass isn't back yet... he'll probably stumble past you anyway. If he doesn't, just point him to my door." Raven offered before heading into his room.

Jessie wanted to say something... to thank him for everything, but she couldn't. Instead she watched silently as the door to his room shut in front of her. She let out a deep breath and placed her pile of stuff on the floor at her feet. She was tired, so tired of having to put up with the pain. Tired of having to hide bruises and of lying to everyone. But, there was no end in sight.

She knew in her heart that Austin loved her, knew he'd keep her safe from her past. He had kept her secrets this long, he wouldn't betray her now... would he? Sinking down to lie on the couch, Jessie pulled a blanket over herself and up to her chin. Her head rested on the pillow and she tried her best to clear her mind but... all she could think about was Austin.

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**A/N2:** And there we have it -Raven's grand enterence into the mix. I'm really nervous about this story because it is dealing with a lot of difficult subjects so, if you've read the first two chapters, please leave me a review and let me know how you think I'm doing. If you have any concerns or costructive criticism, I'd love to hear from you. 

_**Phoenix**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Yay! 3 Reviews for the second chapter. Thanks heaps to Alex, Lizzie (love ya, lady) and bkerbunny (welcome back to the fanfic world, Stacy. So good to see you)! In this chapter, things get a little more complicated - friendships tested. Let me know what you think...

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Wanting something to help her sleep, Jessie reached down for her bag. She pulled it up onto the couch in front of her and unzipped it, searching through the contents quickly. When she couldn't locate what she was looking for, she tipped the contents out onto the floor and searched through them, sending things flying in many different directions. Coming up empty once again, Jessie tore through her pile of clothes. 

Not finding what she needed, Jessie climbed off the couch and began pacing, trying to remember what she'd done with the syringe. She was sure she'd put it in her bag. There was no way she'd put it in her suitcase. Reaching up a hand, Jessie tried to bite on a fingernail but it caused a shot of pain to ripple from her busted lip.

"Ow! Fuck!" Jessie blurted before biting on her lip to silence herself. This only succeeded in making more pain shoot through her body.

"Ah, fuck! God, you're such an idiot, Jess!" She reprimanded herself, just as Cassidy entered the room.

"Jessie? What the heck are you doing here? Did I get the wrong room or..." Cass wondered, looking down at the key-card in his hand. Jessie shook her head, returning to her silent state.

"So, I'm in the right room... is Austin here?" Cassidy asked, still confused as to why his friend's girlfriend was in his hotel room.

Again, Jessie shook her head. She was glad it was dark. It probably meant that Cassidy couldn't see the bruises or the damage to her lip. The familiar metallic taste was back... her lip had to be bleeding again. Keeping her head low, Jessie turned away from Cassidy. He reached out a hand and gently grabbed her arm, intending to turn her around again. Jessie winced and tensed up as his hand closed around a bruise.

"Jess? Are you okay?" Cassidy questioned, noticing her discomfort and letting her go.

Jessie pressed her lips together, again forgetting the damage to her lower lip. The pain reminded her and she gasped, just managing not to cuss out loud again. Cassidy moved so that he was in front of her and lifted her chin with one finger. It wasn't long before that finger encountered a warm substance trickling off Jessie's chin. He pressed his thumb and finger together before realizing what it was.

Turning away from Jessie, Cassidy switched on the nearest lamp to aid him in getting a better look. Confirming that it was, indeed, blood on his finger, he looked up at Jessie and gasped at the sight of blood pouring from her bottom lip. The lip itself was swollen and purple.

"Holy hell... what happened?" Cassidy queried, trying not to overreact.

To him, Jessie looked like she'd been in the ring against Raven in one of his hardcore matches. She had bruising on her face and neck as well as the split lip. No matter how concerned he appeared, Jessie didn't answer him. Cassidy once again caught her chin with his finger, this time using his other hand to try and assess the damage that had been done by wiping away some of the blood.

Jessie flinched as his fingers brushed over the ripped stitches and she shoved him away from her so hard that he fell and knocked over the coffee table. The noise was enough to wake Raven. He quickly pulled on his jeans again and left his room. The sight that greeted him in the living room shocked him – the blood pouring from Jessie's lip again, Cassidy on the floor with... blood on his hands?

"You stupid fuck! What have you done?" Raven yelled at Cassidy, stalking over and lifting the smaller man to his feet after grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

Cassidy tried to protest, tried to free himself from Raven's grasp but to no avail. Raven shook Cassidy a few times before letting go of his shirt with one hand and using it to punch Cassidy in the face. Jessie stood, in shock, watching Raven dominate Cassidy. She knew Cass hadn't done anything wrong but wasn't sure she'd be able to stop Raven, even if she wanted to. It was only after a few more punches and Cassidy being thrown into a wall that Jessie found her voice.

"Stop. Stop it." She whispered at first. Raven either didn't hear her or took no notice as he lifted Cassidy to his feet and prepared to slam him into the wall again.

"No! Stop it! Raven... let him go!" She yelled, finally having had enough of the violence. Raven stopped, mid action, and stared at her.

"Let him go? Is this another one of your 'I know he loves me, even though he hurts me' things?" Raven questioned, seriously confused.

"No, it's a 'you've got the wrong idea' thing." Jessie shot back, sharing a quick glance with Cass to make sure he was still conscious - which he seemed to be... barely.

"I have the wrong idea? Clue me in then and I'll think about letting him go." Raven told her, shaking Cassidy a little as he once again held him up by his shirt.

"I accidentally made my lip bleed again before Cass even got here. He came in and asked questions that I didn't want to answer and then noticed the blood." Jessie informed him honestly.

"Then why is there blood on his hands?" Raven wondered.

"I was trying to work out what had happened to her lip. I guess I must have pressed too hard on it or something... that's why she shoved me." Cassidy jumped in, just as confused about everything as Raven but for different reasons. Raven looked between the two younger people and sighed as he let go of Cassidy's shirt.

"Sorry about that, then. It's just that your buddy Aries is the reason her lip got busted in the first place so I figured he may have asked you to rough her up for him." Raven explained. Cassidy looked at Jessie in disbelief.

"Austin hit you?" He asked incredulously. Jessie ducked her head, not wanting to answer.

"It's about time you faced up to it, kid. Aries is a bully, pure and simple. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get on with your life and meet someone that will treat you better." Raven told Jessie. Cassidy still couldn't believe it.

"Wait... how often has this been happening?" He wondered. Again, Jessie didn't answer.

"Hey now, no going back to the silent thing or I'll put Cass through the wall for the fun of it." Raven warned. Jessie looked up and glared at him. He smirked and walked off to get another washcloth.

"Seriously, Jess... what's going on?" Cassidy asked, ignoring Raven's threat to put him through the wall.

"I... I don't know, Cass. Just forget it, okay? I'll be alright." Jessie tried to assure him as Raven came back with the washcloth. He handed it to her and she pressed it to her lip, cringing at the sudden stinging sensation.

"I won't just forget it, Jess. He has no right to hit you." Cass pointed out. Jessie scoffed.

"He has more right than anyone else. Just leave it alone, both of you." She told them, glaring between the pair to make sure they understood.

"Why? Why is it okay for him to hit you?" Raven asked, wondering if the reason would be valid.

"Because I deserve it. I deserve every ounce of pain, every bruise. Neither of you could possibly understand it." Jessie replied as she walked over and sat down on the couch.

Raven picked up the coffee table and put it back the right way up. He was contemplating all the reasons why a young woman would possibly deserve to be beaten as badly as Jessie had been. Problem was, there weren't any reasons he could think of. Cassidy was clearly struggling with the same thoughts, Raven could tell.

"Look, I'm tired. I can't imagine how tired you must be after having to fend off more than one attack by Austin tonight. And you, you little party animal... I say we all get some sleep and see how things look in the morning. Roderick will be happy to know you're talking, at least." Raven figured.

Cassidy agreed with a yawn, a nod and a wave as he disappeared into his room. Jessie went into the bathroom and cleaned up as much of the blood as she could, noting that her lip had clotted again now. She knew that Raven, Cassidy and Roderick would never understand her relationship with Austin. It was far too complicated for them to get their heads around. When she emerged from the bathroom, Raven bid her goodnight and went back into his room. Jessie lay on the couch and pulled the blanket over her, this time having little time to ponder the situation as sleep overtook her.

The next morning, Jessie was awakened by someone stroking her hair. Her heart leapt into her throat before she'd even opened her eyes, thinking it was Austin. She cracked one eyelid slightly and relaxed as Roderick came into focus. He smiled as he noticed the small sign of life.

"Morning. Raven called me and told me you were talking last night. How do you feel today?" Roderick asked her.

"Rods, you woke me up. How do you think I feel?" Jessie retorted as she shoved his hand away and then pulled the blanket over her head.

"Sorry about that but I figured you'd want to shower before breakfast and then we're off to Universal. We'll get your lip looked at and then maybe mess around for a while before the show." Roderick told her. Jessie lowered the blanket and rubbed at her eyes.

"Shower, breakfast, Universal. Got it." She yawned.

Roderick laughed and left her to her own devices, knowing how long it usually took her to wake up. Jessie sat up and looked around the room, wondering why it didn't seem as damaged as it should after her dispute with Cassidy the previous night.

"Uh... Rods? What am I supposed to wear? My suitcase is in Austin's room... at least, it was." Jessie groaned.

"Raven's gone to get it." Roderick told her as he handed her a glass of water.

"Thanks. Raven won't... hurt Austin, will he?" Jessie queried.

"Depends on Austin. If he keeps his mouth shut and hands over your suitcase, he'll be fine." Roderick muttered, hoping Austin put up a fight so that Raven could kick his ass again. Austin deserved major amounts of pain but Roderick knew Raven wouldn't start anything.

"Morning, Jess. Sleep okay?" Cassidy asked as he came into the room with a hairbrush in hand.

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry about last night." Jessie apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Raven and I worked it all out." Cassidy shrugged.

Jessie ducked her head and concentrated on drinking without the water stinging her lip. Realizing it was next to impossible, Jessie handed the glass back to Roderick and lay back, waiting for Raven to return with her suitcase. She didn't have to wait long as Raven pushed his way into the room, suitcase in hand.

"Ah, you're awake. I got you a little something." Raven smiled, showing her the suitcase.

"Thanks. Austin didn't cause any trouble, did he?" Jessie tried to sound casual about it but Raven could tell she was still in denial about Austin's actions towards her.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Raven shrugged. Jessie left the couch and accepted her suitcase from Raven before disappearing into the bathroom quietly.

"So, what really happened?" Roderick wondered. Raven smirked.

"Let's just say Jessie won't be the only one getting her lip stitched today and leave it at that." He told the two others.

"Thanks, man. I swear to god I'll kill him if he lays his hands on her again." Roderick stated seriously.

"Jessie wouldn't tell me last night... how many times has Austin hit her?" Cassidy wondered. Roderick shrugged slightly.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. It's happened so often now." He replied, brushing a hand over his head.

"I never would have thought it. They always seemed so happy any time I saw them together." Cassidy mused.

"She still thinks he loves her. I may not know much but... it isn't love." Roderick told Cassidy seriously.

Cassidy shook his head in agreement and wandered into his room to finish getting ready for the day. Raven and Roderick traded small talk as they waited for Jessie. By the time she reappeared, they'd agreed not to leave her alone while she was at Universal. Austin probably wouldn't hesitate in hitting her again, no matter who might be watching.

Jessie came out of the bathroom wearing black pants with red stitching and a black hoody with the picture of a blood red rose on the back. She'd once again tried her best to use make up to hide her bruises. She offered Roderick a weak smile as he told her she looked great. She knew he was lying. She looked awful. The bruises were a lot darker today and it had taken her a while to cover them.

"Cass, we're ready to go. If you want a ride, get your butt out here now." Raven called to Cassidy, figuring he'd seemed alright around Jessie so far.

"I'm here, I'm here." Cassidy laughed as he slung his gym bag over his shoulder.

Raven and Roderick picked up their bags and the group made their way down to Raven's rental car. Raven drove the entire way to Universal Studios in an eerily quiet car. Looking in the rear view mirror, he could see Jessie struggling with whatever thoughts were on her mind. He was almost positive she was worrying about seeing Austin again.

Once they got to Universal, Raven made it clear to the two other men that Jessie was not to be left alone. He didn't want to run the risk of Austin attacking her and them not knowing about it until it was too late. Roderick and Cassidy agreed before Roderick and Jessie made their way down a maze of hallways to find the first aid office. Jessie was understandably subdued, probably highly aware of her surroundings. This was Austin's world. The world he never wanted her to be a part of.

"Once we've had your lip looked at, do you want to come to the gym with me?" Roderick asked, getting tired of the silence.

"Uh... not really. Can't I just hide out in someone's locker room?" Jessie queried.

"Jess, no. I promise you nothing is going to happen to you as long as your with me, Cass or Raven, okay?" Roderick tried to ease her mind.

"Whatever you say." Jessie mumbled as Roderick let her into the First Aid room.

Jessie stopped in her tracks just inside the door, meaning Roderick ran right into her when he came in. Roderick held onto Jessie to make sure she didn't fall and looked over her shoulder. There, sitting on one of the benches, having his lip and bruising around his eye looked at, was Austin. Roderick stepped in front of Jessie protectively as Austin caught sight of them.

"I'm out of here." Austin stated, pushing the medic aside and starting to head towards the door.

Jessie obviously had the same idea as she quickly left the room just before Austin got past Roderick. She was leaning back against a wall, her eyes closed and head hung, as Austin got into the hall. He stood just off to one side of her and smirked. This was going to be way too easy.

"Jessie." He whispered. Her head shot up, her eyes open wide in fright. She'd recognized the voice.

"Baby... I'm sorry. I guess I had a little too much to drink when I was out with Cass last night. You know I didn't mean to hurt you, don't you?" Austin spoke quietly, faking sincerity. He knew he didn't have much time. Roderick would surely come looking for her any second.

"Walk with me?" He asked, holding his hand out to her.

Jessie knew she shouldn't take it, knew it would only lead to more pain but... she loved him. She slipped one hand into his and let him lead her away from the First Aid room. Austin gently squeezed her hand and smiled down at her as he led her to a secluded part of the building. Jessie knew this wasn't good. If they went much further, no one would be able to hear her scream if things went bad.

"Austin... what happened to your lip?" Jessie wondered, pulling her hand free and stopping in the middle of a hallway. Austin turned to face her and raised two fingers to his tender lip. It almost matched the mess that was Jessie's lip, but not quite.

"Oh. I... um. I hit it on something." Austin lied – badly. Jessie smirked, silently thanking Raven.

"Oh? Something like Raven's fist, perhaps?" She questioned. The smile on her face angered Austin, like she'd known it had happened... or even asked Raven to do it.

"How did you know that?" He snapped, stepping closer to her. Jessie could see the anger flashing in his eyes.

"I know you. You wouldn't have handed over my stuff without making some sort of stupid comment and Raven wouldn't have let it slide." Jessie shrugged, taking a step backwards to put room between them.

"Yeah, well... whatever. Can we talk about us now? I mean, you know I never meant to hurt you, right?" Austin pushed on, hoping to get her back on his side.

"Sure, let's talk about us, Austin. Why don't we talk about how you never answered my question last night? What was up with the hickey on your neck and lipstick on your collar?" Jessie challenged.

"Not this again! I told you, it's a bruise and the lipstick must have been yours." Austin shot back quickly.

"Funny. I wear clear lip gloss, not shocking pink lipstick. And maybe you didn't mean to hurt me after you'd been drinking but you meant to hurt me before that, didn't you?" Jessie replied heatedly.

Austin again stepped forward and pushed Jessie up against a wall in a scene reminiscent of the night before. He looked down at her, a low growl emanating from the back of his throat. He leaned down slowly and kissed her forehead before resting his forehead against it.

"You make me crazy, you know that?" He whispered, admitting weakness to no one but her. Jessie looked into his eyes and saw the Austin she'd fallen in love with.

"Austin... I can't do this anymore. I honestly can't take the pain. I love you, I do but... it has to stop." Jessie pleaded.

"I know, baby. Will you give me another chance? Let me make it up to you?" Austin queried. Jessie studied his eyes for a long moment before sighing.

"Yeah. But the next time you raise your hand to me, it'll be the last." Jessie warned.

"There won't be a next time, baby." Austin vowed before bending over slightly and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Jessie melted into his arms and silently asked herself what she'd gotten into as Austin held her.

"You should go get your lip looked at. I can't wait to taste you again." Austin whispered in her ear.

Jessie shivered in anticipation before she let him lead her back towards the First Aid room. Part way there, Jessie stopped and pulled on Austin's hand to stop him too. He looked down at her, quizzically raising an eyebrow.

"I should go the rest of the way on my own. If Roderick sees you and I together, he'll probably get angry and neither of us needs to deal with that right now." Jessie explained her hesitance. Austin nodded and pulled her in for a hug before kissing her forehead once more and letting her go.

"I'll see you later then?" He asked hopefully.

Jessie nodded before turning and walking away. Had she looked back, she might have seen the smirk forming on Austin's lips. As it was, she had so much on her mind, she didn't notice Raven heading straight for her, an almost unreadable expression on his face.

"Where the hell have you been? We've had guys searching the place for you." Raven told her, slight concern showing in his voice.

"Oh, sorry. I just needed some space after seeing Austin in the First Aid room. I guess I kind of freaked." Jessie shrugged nonchalantly. Raven could tell she was lying to him but decided to leave it for the moment. Her lip really was in urgent need of attention.

"Let's get you sorted then. I'll call Cassidy and Roderick and let them know I found you and they can call off the others." Raven told her as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket. Jessie walked beside him quietly as he made the calls. Once he'd hung up from talking to Cassidy, he turned to Jessie.

"You didn't happen to run into Austin on your travels, did you?" He inquired.

"Uh... no. Why?" Jessie wondered. She was desperately hoping that Raven hadn't seen Austin hugging her moments before.

"Well, he seemed to disappear at the same time you did. Roderick sent Cass to look for him as soon as he realized you were gone." Raven explained. Jessie shrugged again.

"Didn't see him. After I left the room, I ran. Who knows what Austin did." Jessie reasoned. Raven nodded a little, knowing she was lying to him again.

"Jessie! Thank god you're okay!" Roderick called as soon as he saw the pair heading towards him. He had made his way back to the First Aid room after talking to Raven.

"I needed space, no big deal." Jessie cut him off before he could interrogate her too.

"No big deal? Austin's walking around here somewhere but it's no big deal?" Roderick fumed.

"I didn't see Austin. Can we get over it now?" Jessie asked sarcastically.

"Liar." Roderick stated flatly. A blush rose in Jessie's cheeks and she looked away.

"Not here, not now." Raven warned Roderick in a low voice. Roderick relented and opened the door to the First Aid room for Jessie. She walked in and waited for the two guys to join her.

"Can you deal with this, please? I seriously can't do it anymore." Roderick asked Raven quietly, just outside the door. Raven could see the restraint he was showing was beginning to wear thin. Nodding his head, he left the younger man in the hall and stepped into the First Aid room.

"Raven, what can I do for you?" The medic wondered, looking past Jessie.

"Jessie here needs her lip restitched." He told the other man. Jessie looked back towards the door. Noticing no one else was coming in, she turned to Raven.

"Where's Rods?" She whispered while the medic prepared the things he'd need.

"Seems he's had enough of watching you being used as a punching bag and pin cushion." Raven told her in way of explanation. The look of disbelief on her face made Raven feel like maybe now she was getting the idea of the severity of what was happening because of Austin. Maybe.

"He ditched me?" She again whispered, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe it.

"Only fools put up with liars. Does Roderick strike you as a fool?" Raven posed. Jessie shook her head.

"Let's get that lip sorted, shall we?" The medic interjected.

Jessie sat down on one of the beds and waited numbly as the medic assessed her lip. Once he had a good bearing on what he needed to do, he set about removing the old stitches from and then applying new stitches to the wound. He was somewhat surprised by the fact that she never flinched. Raven stood quietly, waiting for the medic to release Jessie. He was sure she probably wouldn't say anything for a while. The fact that Roderick seemed to be giving up on her would be weighing heavily on her mind.

"Well, I've done the best I can. I highly suggest not doing anything to cause damage of any kind to the lip for a while though. I don't think anyone will be able to fix it if those stitches pull." The medic told Jessie and Raven seriously.

"Thanks, man. I'll make sure nothing happens." Raven assured him before escorting Jessie out of the room. As he predicted, Jessie remained quiet.

"Let's head to my locker room. I'm sharing with Cassidy but it's better than leaving you to wander the halls." Raven suggested. Jessie nodded slightly and Raven left it at that.

Meanwhile, Austin had made his way to Cassidy's locker room in order to talk to his friend. Cassidy let him in hesitantly, figuring that it would be better to know where he was than have him walking around being a danger to Jessie.

"Cass, remember that chick at the club last night?" Austin asked Cassidy with a grin forming.

"The one that was wearing more makeup than clothes?" Cassidy figured.

"Yeah, her. I'm hooking up with her again tonight. Feel like coming out for another night of drinking?" Austin wondered. Cassidy was resisting the urge to beat the hell out of his former friend.

"No, thanks. What about Jessie, though? I mean, you two are still together, right?" Cassidy questioned, covering quickly when he remembered that he wasn't supposed to know about what Austin had done to her.

"Jessie? Man, she's too stupid to know anything about it. Hell, she still thinks I'm madly in love with her. As long as she keeps thinking that, I can keep screwing anyone I want. Genius, don't you think?" Austin laughed. He missed the dark look on Cassidy's face.

"You don't deserve her." Cassidy mumbled in anger as he realized, not for the first time, that Austin was a complete and utter asshole.

"What was that?" Austin asked, turning to look at his friend.

"Nothing, man." Cassidy lied, throwing his gym bag across the room instead of taking his anger out on Austin.

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A/N2: Again, I just want to give a HUGE shout out to Lizzie for helping me so much with this story. You totally rock, Lady, and I couldn't have done this without you. Well, maybeI could but I wouldn't have had the guts to post it. Thanks for kicking my butt and telling me to post it. You're awesome! Don't let Uni get you down... or I'll have to throw myself off another roof... lol. 

And, to anyone else reading this, please leave me a review and let me know if I've hit a chord with you. If there's anything you want to critique, go for it. I appreciate all constructive criticism as I believe it helps me grow as a writer. Thank you all for reading this chapter. The next one should be up in a few days. Luv you all.

**_Phoenix_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N: **I had something written out for this but then my computer screwed up on me. Guess I'll have to wing it. Thanks to Lizzie, bkerbunny and BatistaCenaChick for reviewing the last chapter. I really appreciate the feedback and am quite surprised by how positive it is so far. **In this chapter:** Things seem to improve for Jessie after a forced confrontation but, how long will it last? **Warning:** This chapter contains drug use. If that kind of thing offends you, I urge you to skip the last 4 paragraphs of this chapter.

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Raven led the way into his locker room, stopping mere feet from Austin. Cassidy could tell, just by looking at him, that Raven wasn't happy about the visitor. He saw why as Jessie stepped out from behind him. She stood, almost between Austin and Raven, looking from one to the other. 

"You. Out. Now." Raven ordered through clenched teeth.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll stay, thanks." Austin smirked.

Raven took a step towards him but was halted by Jessie putting a hand on his chest. Realizing the possible combustibility of the situation, Raven nodded towards Cassidy.

"Cass, take Jessie to catering and get her a drink." He suggested, wanting the girl out of the room, just in case. Cassidy knew better than to argue. Jessie didn't.

"I'm not going anywhere." She told Raven defiantly.

Biting back a cuss word or two, Raven pushed Jessie in Cassidy's direction. Cassidy took the hint and grabbed Jessie by the shoulders, gently leading her out of the room, despite her attempts to protest.

"Let me go, Cassidy! I have to stop Raven!" Jessie urged, struggling against his hold.

"Stop him from what? Trying to beat a little sense into the asshole? Giving him exactly what he deserves? Austin has it coming." Cassidy retorted.

"Aren't you one of Austin's best friends?" Jessie wondered, not quite feeling the friendly vibe.

"I can safely say that I was one of his buddies. Right up until I realized what he was doing to you. You deserve better, Jess." Cassidy replied seriously.

"You don't know me, Cass. I deserve whatever Austin chooses to do to me. It's my fault... all my fault." Jessie sobbed, trying desperately to stay in control of her emotions.

"Not even a rabid dog deserves to be treated the way you have been. What possible reason is there for you to think you deserve it?" Cass asked, hoping to get an insight into how her mind was working.

"I... I can't tell you. But, believe me, I deserve a lot worse than bruises and split lips. I'm a horrible person. The sooner you all see that, the better off you'll be." Jessie assured him before trying to push her way past him.

"He doesn't love you, Jessie. I doubt that he ever did. The sooner you see that, the better off you'll be." Cass whispered as he pulled her into a hug. Jessie struggled for a few moments before letting her guard down slightly.

"He's kept my secrets this long so, he must care. You can all try to say differently but I know him." Jessie told him adamantly.

"Do you know what he plans to do tonight? He plans on getting with the chick he was with last night at the club. And I know for a fact that it won't be the first time he's cheated on you. He's not worth the heartache, can't you see that?" Cassidy informed her. Jessie pulled her way out of his arms.

"And can't you see that I couldn't leave him, even if I wanted to? If I even think about it, he'll tell everyone... everything. My life wouldn't be worth living." She responded, pain, anger and regret all shining through her eyes before she turned away from him.

"Oh, but you have such a great life now, huh? Between trips to the emergency room, I mean." Cassidy shot back heatedly.

Jessie turned back and slapped him as hard as she could, only realizing what she'd done after the action. She raised both hands to her mouth before trying to reach one out to Cassidy. He pushed it away with one hand while his other hand clutched at his, now tender, cheek.

"Cass... I'm sorry. I... oh god." Jessie stammered.

"Maybe you're more like Austin than I thought." Cassidy spat as he walked off down the hall, away from her. Lately, he seemed to be attracting fists and he wanted to avoid any more of them if he could.

Jessie sank to the floor, kneeling with her hands over her eyes. She couldn't believe she'd lashed out at Cassidy like that. He'd only been trying to help her. Then again, he hadn't exactly listened to anything she'd said, she was sure. He'd skimmed over it while trying to assure her that Austin was a jerk. She was lost in her own world, sobs controlling her small frame. She didn't notice anyone walking towards her. It wasn't until she felt herself being lifted from the floor that she uncovered her eyes. Raven.

"You seem to have a knack for making enemies out of friends." Raven told her with a smirk once she was on her feet.

"I didn't mean it... I never meant to hit him." Jessie pleaded, hoping Raven would believe her.

"Whether you meant it or not, it happened. It's about time you faced up to everything instead of hiding from it." Raven replied seriously as he took her hand and led her down a few hallways. Once Jessie realized that they weren't going back to his locker room, she began to protest.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she tried to pull her hand free.

"You're walking me out to the ring." Raven answered.

"No! Absolutely not! I'm a fucking mess, Raven." Jessie protested loudly.

"Yes, you are. Which is exactly why you're coming out there with me." Raven smiled slightly.

"What are you playing at?" Jessie wondered, catching sight of the sparkle in Raven's eyes.

"You'll see." Raven told her as they stepped up to the backstage side of the set.

He was handed a microphone as his music was cued and he quickly led the way down the tunnel and onto the stage. The crowd turned their attention to the strange looking girl that was standing next to Raven, still trying to get her hand free from his. Raven raised the microphone but hesitated a moment before he spoke.

"Ah. Bright lights, many fans and cameras. There's no way you can hide anything from those things. No way anyone can run from things that are brought to light out here – which brings me to introducing my rather special guest tonight." Raven smiled before lowering the microphone again.

He tugged on Jessie's hand and led her down to the ring before motioning for her to enter through the ropes. Jessie slowly complied, feeling totally exposed. Raven entered the ring and moved to the center of it, waving for Jessie to walk over to him. She again complied, wanting only to feel safe. She wasn't sure what Raven was going to say or do so the last thing she wanted to do was antagonize him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my guest this evening is Austin Aries' personal punching bag, oh, my mistake – girlfriend – Jessie Carmichael. She flew all the way from Milwaukee yesterday to see him, only to have him beat her. But, she says he loves her so it's okay." Raven spoke calmly into the microphone as Jessie glared at him. The crowd let out a loud chorus of boos to show their distaste for Austin's actions.

"Now, not only that but, she's pushed away two people here that have done nothing but try to help her. Her best friend, Roderick Strong, and a close friend of mine, Cassidy Riley." As Raven said their names, Roderick and Cassidy made their way out to stand on the stage.

"It's funny how friends have connections, isn't it?" Raven smiled as he turned to look at Jessie. Alex Shelley stepped out of the tunnel and stood next to Roderick.

"See, Rod here happens to know someone who is very good with a video camera. Cue it. Jessie, you claim that Austin loves you. I ask you, does this look like the behavior of a guy in a committed relationship?" Raven asked as he motioned for Jessie to look at the screen.

A video flashed to life. The scene, a nightclub. Jessie recognized a few people as the camera scanned around the room. She was sure the blond guy and the dark haired guy were a tag team here in TNA. There was Cassidy walking towards the bar. And then there was Austin. It looked, to Jessie, like he was trying to get rid of a ring rat or annoying female fan. Jessie looked at Raven curiously. What did this prove exactly?

"Keep watching." Raven whispered, so she turned her attention back to the screen.

As she did, the image of Austin pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her passionately. As the woman pulled away, she turned towards the camera. Jessie took in a shocked breath. The woman was wearing shocking pink lipstick. She watched in disbelief as the woman proceeded to give Austin a hickey. Jessie turned away, bitter tears forming in her eyes.

"It's not over yet, Jess." Raven told her, holding her by her shoulders and turning her back towards the screen.

On screen, Cassidy had walked over to Austin and seemed to be talking to him animatedly. All of a sudden, Austin lashed out and slapped Cassidy. Several of the other wrestlers moved to hold Cassidy back and someone pushed Austin towards the door. That explained to Jessie why Austin had come back early.

"Cassidy, why don't you let us all in on what you were saying to Austin?" Raven said into the mic as the video faded. Cassidy raised a microphone of his own as Roderick gave him a nod of encouragement.

"I was trying to remind him that he had a girlfriend. You all saw his reaction." Cassidy answered Raven, raising a hand to his cheek in memory of the pain – which wasn't that distant seeing as he'd just experienced it again thanks to Jessie.

Jessie looked from Cassidy to Rod, from Rod to Raven. She couldn't understand why they were doing this to her. Wasn't Roderick meant to be her friend? She pulled away from Raven and made her way towards the ropes. She had to get out of there, had to...

"Security!" Raven yelled into the mic.

Moments later, several stocky men had surrounded the ring. Jessie weighed up her options and decided to continue with her plan of leaving the ring. As she stepped one foot onto the apron outside the ring, Austin came running through the tunnel. It was evident he was planning on getting to the ring but Cassidy and Roderick caught him and held him fast.

"Jessie! Jessie, baby, it's okay! Everything's okay. Just come on over here!" Austin yelled as he struggled against his two possibly former friends.

Jessie had paused, watching Austin's entrance into the madness. Figuring she'd had enough of being humiliated, she finally got out of the ring. One of the Security guys grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her going any further away from the ring. She tried to get away from the guy, only to be surrounded by several others.

"Austin, how nice of you to join us. Bring him down here. Jessie, get back into this ring, right now." Raven ordered.

Jessie turned and looked up at him, a mixture of hate and confusion in her eyes. He almost felt sorry for her – until he reminded himself that she'd brought most of it on herself. She was the one that had pushed away people that had been trying to help her. She was the one in need of help before Austin went too far and killed her. They were just trying to get her to see that.

Raven opened the ropes for her and motioned for her to get back into the ring. Deciding she had no other choice, Jessie complied. Roderick and Cassidy were slowly dragging a struggling Austin towards the ring. Jessie wasn't sure she wanted to know what was going to happen next. She had a feeling it wouldn't be good, whatever it was. Once Jessie, Austin, Roderick and Cassidy were all in the ring, Raven continued.

"Austin, rushing out here to play hero? What a joke. She's seen the tape, man. She knows you're scum. There's no possible way you can get out of this one, though I'd really like to hear your explanation. I'm sure everyone in here would, actually." Raven smirked, motioning to the audience.

A huge roar erupted from the crowd, showing Raven that he wasn't wrong. Cassidy handed his microphone to Austin and nodded, as if confirming that Austin should use it but that he should also pick his words wisely. Roderick and Cass were standing very close to Austin, just in case he tried anything. Raven stood between Austin and Jessie for the same reason. He may have been trying the whole 'tough love' thing but he wasn't out to get Jessie hurt physically. The emotional side would be damage enough.

"Jess, baby, you know I love you." Austin began hesitantly. The audience booed loudly. Once they'd quietened down, he continued.

"The girl in the tape, she meant nothing. For all I know, Alex or Cass could have paid her to hit on me..." Austin reasoned.

Cassidy and Roderick shook their heads. There was no way any of them would waste their cash to get some fake looking chick to hit on Austin. What was the point? Jessie watched Roderick closely. She knew he wouldn't lie to her, even though she'd lied to him earlier about meeting up with Austin. She reached a hesitant hand out to Raven and he gave her his microphone without her asking.

"She meant nothing, huh? Then why didn't you tell me about her? Why did you lie to me when I asked about the hickey? And why were you planning on meeting up with her again tonight? Oh, yes, Austin. I know about your plans. So go ahead... answer me." Jessie urged as Austin looked very uncomfortable. He tried to take a step towards her but Roderick and Cassidy each put a hand on his shoulders to restrain him.

"I didn't tell you about her because I knew you'd get upset. I don't know why I lied about the hickey but... it doesn't matter. None of it matters now. Don't you see what they're trying to do, baby? They're trying to ruin everything. I love you and you know it, Jessie." Austin told her seriously. Jessie laughed hollowly.

"Someone wise once told me that love isn't shared with a fist. What you and I have isn't love, Austin. It's pain. It's torture. It's pure hell and I'm sick of it. I... I want it to be over." Jessie stammered, tears springing to her eyes.

"That's not what you said in the hallway earlier." Austin pointed out. He felt Roderick's hand loosen slightly and sensed that the other man had probably suspected as much.

"It's what she's saying now, you little bastard." Raven snapped, having pulled the microphone from Jessie's hand.

"You don't really want it to be over, do you? I mean, if it was over, I'd have to tell everyone your little secret. Is that what you want, Jess?" Austin smirked. Jessie looked shocked and shook her head slightly, causing Austin to laugh in amusement. The audience sent out another chorus of boos.

"Jessie, whatever this secret is, it's not worth your life. He's just using it to keep you under his control. If you don't fear it anymore, he can't control you anymore and you can finally be free – and pain free." Raven pointed out seriously.

Jessie looked between the two men, struggling to figure out what to do. She didn't want Austin telling everyone the secret he held over her. Yet, she didn't want him to be able to keep controlling her anymore, either. Running a hand through her hair, she began pacing between the ring ropes and Raven – being careful not to go any further for fear of Austin being able to reach her.

"She could probably use a little encouragement here, ya know?" Raven spoke into the mic casually, looking out at the audience as well as directly at Roderick.

The crowd took the hint and began chanting 'Dump him, Jessie'. She looked out at all the different people in the arena and shook her head, tears blurring her vision. They didn't know her, didn't know Austin... didn't know what the secret was that he held over her. She deserved the pain... didn't she?

Cassidy had joined in on the chant now, waving his free arm to encourage the crowd to get louder. Raven was amazed at how loud they were already and he nodded his head along with them. Jessie rubbed the tears out of her eyes and looked up. For a brief moment her eyes rested on Austin. The smug look on his face sickened her. She moved her gaze to Roderick and their eyes connected. He mouthed the words 'I'll protect you, forever' and she finally knew, finally understood. Jessie took the mic back from Raven and, turning away from the four men in the ring, raised it slowly.

"It's over, Austin. I'm done with it all. If you want to tell the world my secret, go ahead. I've paid for what I did back then in blood – blood you drew. I've had enough. It's over." She spoke calmly and firmly, amazed by the power she felt coming through in her words.

"Look me in the eye and say that. Don't be weak!" Austin ordered.

Raven watched Jessie stiffen in fear. He knew she was close to backing down, to giving in to Austin again so he reached out a hand and gently squeezed her shoulder to let her know that he was there for her. Jessie felt Raven's strength and support and lifted her head slightly. It had to stop and the only way it would was if she took back control of her life. She knew that now. She reached up a hand and touched Raven's one on her shoulder lightly before brushing it away and turning back to face Austin.

"Weak? You're trying to call me weak? Hell no! After everything you've done to me, I'm still standing Austin. I'm still alive. Maybe it's you that's weak. Ever thought of that?" Jessie posed the question with a smirk forming on her face.

She knew he wouldn't like that, knew it would anger him. Sure enough, one of his hands formed a fist and the color rose to his face. She'd hit a nerve in him and he was about ready to explode.

"You little... You know what, fine. Have it your way. I think everyone here will be interested to know what kind of a person you really are, Jessie, so why don't I just let them know?" Austin again threatened.

"Don't bother. By the time you got around to it, they'd all be fossilized. I'll tell them myself." Jessie laughed. Austin looked suitably confused by this tactic.

"You see, about a year after Austin and I first started dating, I got pregnant. Everything went great for a few months and I was really excited. Then, one day, I made Austin angry somehow and he went off on me. It was the first time he'd ever hit me but he did enough damage that I wound up in extreme pain. Then, I did the stupidest thing I've ever done and I turned to drugs to ease the pain instead of going to a doctor. I lost the baby because of my drug use. That's it. That's the big secret." Jessie admitted.

She couldn't bare to look at Roderick, knowing she'd see disappointment in his face. She dared a glance at Cassidy and noted the expression of shock on his face. Wondering what Raven thought, she turned slightly to look at him. He caught her eye and nodded slightly before leaning in towards her.

"We'll talk later." He whispered. Austin finally snapped back to reality.

"You see? You've all been cheering for a drug addict! That's all she is, even now." Austin informed everyone. Raven laughed and took the mic away from Jessie.

"Hate to break it to you but... I'm a recovering addict myself and I've had more than one person cheering for me. You, you're worse than an addict. You're an abusive little worm that drove this beautiful person towards drugs in the first place. I suggest you get the point of this exchange through your thick skull and realize that you and Jessie are finished. If you come anywhere near her, try to call her, hell, even look at her, I will personally give you the beating to end all beatings. Now get the hell out of my sight." He snarled, stepping towards Austin menacingly.

Cassidy and Roderick let Austin go and watched as he fled from the ring. Austin received a few shoves and stiff shoulders from the Security guys as he made his way through them but they generally let him past with no trouble. He didn't even dare look back towards the ring. Raven dropped the microphone and pulled Jessie into a hug.

"Well done. I think you're on your way back from hell. But you're not done yet." He told her as he held her.

"I know. Roderick's going to hate me though." Jessie whispered, feeling safe in Raven's arms – a feeling she wasn't accustomed to.

"Judging by the look on his face I'd say he's a little confused, a little hurt but he's still here in the ring so I think things will be okay." Raven assured her. As he let her go, Cassidy came up to her.

"Well, that was a bombshell and a half. I don't see how he could hold that over you when he's the one that caused it." Cassidy mused.

"He had this way of twisting everything so that it was my fault. I mean, I did make him angry so it was my fault that he hit me but..." Jessie started.

"Don't ever say that again. No man has the right to hit a woman. It's just evil and wrong." Cassidy cut her off. Jessie considered what Cassidy had said and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I know I should believe that. Give me time." She figured.

After everything that she'd been through, she needed time to figure out who she was and what she believed in now. Cassidy nodded and moved aside to talk to Raven, knowing that Roderick probably had something to say to Jessie. Jessie looked up and caught the look on Roderick's face. Raven hadn't been kidding when he said that Roderick looked hurt and confused but there was something more. Something Jessie never thought she'd see... guilt.

"Rods, I..." Jessie started, wanting to tell him a million different things.

Roderick cut her off by shaking his head, anger flashing across his face briefly. As she watched, he turned and left the ring through the ropes behind where he'd been standing. He walked away, stopping momentarily to look back, shaking his head again before continuing to walk to the backstage area. Jessie turned to look for help from Raven and Cassidy.

Cassidy shrugged, figuring that Roderick would talk to her later. Raven had an idea that things were far from over for Jessie. She still had a lot of making up to do as far as Roderick was concerned. She'd hidden things from him, flat out lied to him earlier. Then there was the fact that she would be quitting the drugs if Raven had anything to say about it. He motioned for Jessie and Cassidy to leave the ring, joining them shortly after they had. He waved to the crowd, thanking them for their participation in the 'intervention', as he led the way up the ramp and into the tunnel.

Once they had left the tunnel, Raven motioned for Cassidy to leave him and Jessie alone. He led Jessie down a few hallways before opening a side door and letting her walk through it. The door led to outside the building that housed TNA. Jessie took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt the tension inside her ease a little.

"Ready for that talk I told you we'd have?" Raven asked after making sure they were alone.

"Are you giving me a choice?" Jessie returned, raising an eyebrow. Raven laughed and shook his head.

"Not exactly, no. I'd still talk if you said no. The difference would be whether you'd actually listen." Raven reasoned. Jessie looked at her surroundings as she thought it over.

"Why don't you start talking and we'll see what happens." Jessie offered. Raven laughed, pulled something from his pocket and then sat down against the wall of the building.

Jessie followed suit and sat across from him. Raven held his hand out, offering Jessie something. Jessie took it and was stunned to see the syringe she'd had in her bag. Well, that explained what happened to it.

"So this is going to be more of a lecture than a talk, I take it?" She posed, dropping the syringe between them.

"It would be hypocritical of me to lecture you. I've been there, done that... and worse probably. I just want to know how you feel about this now." Raven asked, motioning towards the syringe.

"I feel like I need help to get myself under control. The drugs have messed me up so much but they definitely took the edge off reality when I needed it most." Jessie told him. Raven looked her in the eye and nodded.

"I know how that is. I have a journal full of drug induced rantings. Actually, wait here for a second, I want you to read something." Raven decided, getting up and walking back through the door.

Once she was sure he'd gone, Jessie picked the syringe up and slipped it down the inside of her boot. With that done, she got up and headed inside too. She knew that Raven had probably headed for his locker room so she went in the opposite direction. She found a women's bathroom and went in, locking herself into one of the stalls. She pulled the syringe from her boot and sat, twirling it in her fingers.

"Fuck it all." She murmured as she uncapped the needle.

Pulling her hair out of it's hair tie, she used the piece of elastic to wrap around her upper arm. Injecting the contents of the syringe into a vein on the inside of her elbow, Jessie leaned against the door of the stall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. The drug worked quickly, flowing through her bloodstream. Before long she felt the familiar numbness that she had come to welcome after a beating from Austin.

"What the hell do they know anyway." Jessie muttered aloud.

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**A/N2:** And the plot hits a twist. The next chapter will pick up right where this left off. If you wish to complain about my portrayal of the drug use, give me some constructive criticism or even let me know that you liked the chapter, please hit the review button. I enjoy knowing that people think this is an interesting story to read because it was an interesting story to write. A far cry from anything I've written before. Anyway, thanks again and hugs to all. 

**_Phoenix_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Thanks to Lizzie and Stacy (bkerbunny) for the reviews. Much appreciated. This chapter continues where the last one left off. Enjoy.

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She was slowly edging into her own world, one where she was alone. Unfortunately, her world didn't creep into reality as someone entered the bathroom. Jessie banged her head against the stall door. 

"Fuck Raven. He doesn't know me like he thinks he does. He knows nothing! Asshole, trying to take the moral high ground. Fuck him!" Jessie yelled.

The person that had entered the bathroom took in a breath in shock before turning and leaving again. Jessie didn't notice, she was too far into her own world now. A little while later, Jessie was brought back to reality rudely as someone banged on the stall door.

"Jessie, open this fucking door right now." Raven's voice broke through the haze.

"Get lost, birdbrain." Jessie muttered in response.

"Open the door or I'll break it down." Raven commanded. Jessie ignored him.

"Scott, stop. Let me try." A female voice spoke up. Raven must have relented.

"Jessie? My name's Jackie. Can you open the door so we can talk?" Jackie Gayda asked quietly.

Jessie reached up and unlocked the door, shifting slightly so she was sitting against the wall of the stall instead of the door. Jackie opened the door and knelt down so she could look Jessie in the eye. She noticed the glazed over look and resisted the urge to say anything to Raven. He'd walked over to one of the basins anyway.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Jackie asked calmly.

"Just fucking peachy. I've gone from being controlled by Austin to being controlled by Raven. Everything's just going so fucking well." Jessie spat.

Raven came back over to the two women and pushed past Jackie. He grabbed Jessie by her armpits and hauled her to her feet. Once she was standing, Raven moved her over to the basin he'd been at before and pushed her head down into the water that he'd filled it with. After a few seconds, he lifted her head, pulled her long hair back with one hand and then dunked her again. When he let her up again, she came up fighting.

"Let me go, you bastard! He's trying to drown me! Someone help me!" Jessie screamed as she struggled against Raven.

"Cut it out. If I wanted to drown you, I wouldn't have let you up. Take a breath." Raven warned.

"Don't you dare!" Jessie warned.

Raven pushed her head back into the water, just giving her time to take a breath. He let her up again and let her go. She turned towards him and made to slap him. Raven grabbed her wrist and turned her around so that she was held in his arms. She struggled against him and screamed in frustration when he wouldn't let her go.

"Raven, stop. This isn't helping anyone." Jackie stepped in.

"It's okay, Jacks. Do me a favor and go find Cassidy, will you?" Raven asked calmly. Jackie looked at Jessie and decided there really wasn't anything she could do to help the girl. She nodded at Raven and left the bathroom.

"I left you alone for five seconds and you took the needle and used it. So much for wanting help. You fucking lied to my face and I was stupid enough to believe you. Guess I need to ask Rod to give me lessons in catching your give aways. Then again, I should know by now never to trust an addict." Raven laughed halfheartedly.

"Stop acting like you know me. You know nothing about me." Jessie told him adamantly.

"I know you're on the fast track to killing yourself. I just can't work out why." Raven replied.

"I deserve to die. I killed my baby." Jessie whispered. She stopped fighting and went limp in Raven's arms just as Cassidy came in.

"What's going on?" Cassidy asked. Raven looked down at Jessie and noted that she'd either fallen asleep or passed out.

"She needs detox. We're going to the hotel and locking her in. You're driving." Raven explained quickly.

Cassidy nodded and watched as Raven lifted Jessie's small frame into his arms. Just as they were preparing to leave the bathroom, Roderick walked in, followed by Jackie.

"I'm sorry... he was with Cass when I told him about Jessie. I tried to hold him off." Jackie apologized.

"It's okay, Jacks. Rod, go get Jessie's gear. We're out of here." Raven ordered, shifting Jessie's weight slightly. Roderick noted the fresh bruise on Jessie's arm and shook his head.

"She's not worth the hassle, man. Leave her here. Let the junkie be a junkie." He told them. Raven noted the hollow sound in his voice.

"Rod, she needs help. She needs you." Raven assured him.

"If she needed my help, she'd ask. She always did after Austin beat her. She'd beg me to help her get away, yet she'd stay with him even after I gave her a way out. And now I think I've figured out why." Roderick sighed. Raven looked at him curiously, so Roderick continued.

"He was her dealer. He got her the drugs." Roderick answered the unasked question. Raven looked down at Jessie and nodded.

"You could be right. Only one way to find out." Raven reasoned.

"Nah. I'm done with it. She wants to keep things from me, I'll help her do it. I'm out." Roderick decided as he turned and left the bathroom.

"Fuck. Not good, not good." Raven muttered. He'd been hoping that Roderick would be willing to help them get Jessie through her withdrawal.

"I'll get Jessie's stuff and meet you at the car. We'll figure it out." Cassidy figured. Raven nodded and let Cassidy and Jackie lead the way out of the bathroom.

Once they were at the hotel, Raven asked Jackie if she would attempt to shower Jessie. He wanted to make sure her temperature didn't get too high but figured it would be a little indecent if he showered her. The last thing they all needed was for Jessie to have a bad reaction to whatever had been in the syringe.

Jackie agreed, citing that it couldn't possibly be any harder than getting a drunk WWE Diva into the shower. If it was any other situation, Raven may have asked which Diva Jackie was referring to. As it was, his mind was trying to work out all the different things they'd need in order to get Jessie through the night. Jotting down a list of stuff, he sent Cassidy to the nearest convenience store to get the supplies.

Raven was trying to work out who else he could get to aid him with Jessie's withdrawal when he heard a crash from the bathroom. Jackie came into the room with a towel held to her head.

"What the hell happened?" Raven asked, moving the towel slightly to inspect Jackie's eyebrow and forehead and eyebrow over her left eye.

"Someone decided she didn't like having help in the bathroom. She pushed me away and I lost my footing. Cabinets have sharp corners, did you know?" Jackie tried to joke.

"Keep the pressure on there until it stops bleeding. I'll find some Band-aids or something to put over it." Raven told her.

"Thanks, Scotty. I kind of have this feeling that all the stuff that happened in the ring earlier wasn't scripted. If that feeling proves to be true then I can understand why Jessie's so..." Jackie paused, trying to come up with the right word.

"Messed up?" Raven offered.

"I was going to say sad but I guess your way works too." Jackie sighed.

"Fuck you, Raven! Where the fuck are my clothes?" Jessie yelled from the bathroom.

"Get your butt back in the shower or I'll come in there and make you." Raven called back.

"Hard to do when the door's locked!" Jessie retorted.

"Oh, fuck. Damn stupid doors having locks." Raven mumbled, running a hand over his head.

"Relax. If we're locked out, it means she's locked in. She can't get into any trouble in there." Jackie pointed out.

"Mm... good point. This is going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better. You might as well bail now." Raven told her, moving to open the door for her.

"I'm not going anywhere. You're going to need my help with her again at some point so I'll stay. Saves you groveling to me later." Jackie reasoned.

"You sure? That bump of yours will need looking at." Raven figured.

"So, I'll get it checked and then come back. I'm not leaving until Cass gets back, though." Jackie replied seriously.

"If you have a concussion, don't come back." Raven commanded.

"Aw, you love me. You really love me." Jackie joked. Raven looked at her and shook his head.

"I'm admitting to nothing. Haas may try killing me if I do." He smiled. A small blush rose to Jackie's cheeks, just as Cassidy returned.

"I'm not interrupting anything am... what happened?" Cass asked as he spotted the towel covering part of Jackie's face.

"Jessie pitched a fit, Jackie slipped and hit her head, Jessie's locked herself in the bathroom. Now you're up to speed." Raven summarized.

"She locked herself in? And you're not worried by this?" Cassidy asked as he dropped the shopping bags on the table.

"What harm can she do?" Jackie shrugged.

"My razor's in there." Cassidy explained as he calmly headed for the door of the bathroom. Jackie and Raven shared a worried glance, each wondering when they last heard any noise from the bathroom.

"This day keeps getting more and more interesting." Raven muttered as they followed after Cassidy quickly.

Cassidy banged on the bathroom door and waited for a reply. When he didn't get one, he tried the handle. Finding it locked, just as Raven had told him it would be, he took a few steps back and shoulder-barged the door. As the door burst open, allowing them access to the room, Cassidy regained his balance and rubbed his shoulder.

After glancing around the bathroom, Cassidy spotted Jessie sitting in the shower, her knees pulled up to her chest. She seemed to be in another world, in a trance, much like when he first saw her in the hotel room the previous night. Cassidy knelt down next to her, not caring that he was getting wet... until he realized that the water was ice cold.

"Shit! Someone grab me a towel." Cassidy ordered as he turned the water off. Raven tossed a towel to him, wondering what the problem was.

"She's freezing. Come on, Jess, get up. Time to get warm." Cassidy urged, trying to wrap the towel around her as he pulled her to her feet.

"Here, let me help." Jackie offered as she stepped past Raven.

"Now you want to help? Weren't you meant to be in here watching her?" Cassidy pointed out angrily.

"Cass, calm down. Jessie didn't want..." Raven started, only to be cut off.

"Does it look like she should be allowed to dictate what she wants? She's high. She doesn't know what she wants or needs. You, of all people, should understand that, Scott." Cassidy blurted, his temper overtaking him.

"That's enough!" Raven warned.

"No, I don't think it is. Get out, both of you. Go!" Cassidy ordered sharply.

Raven began to protest but Jackie put her hand on his arm and began pulling him out of the bathroom. Once they were out of earshot of Cassidy, Raven turned on her.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, motioning back towards the bathroom.

"Cassidy is right. I messed up and left her alone in there. No point fighting about it in front of Jessie. Things are bad enough for her as it is. Besides, I think it's kind of sweet." Jackie smiled slightly.

"Sweet? How do you figure that?" Raven asked, caught off guard.

"Cassidy being all protective. He'd make a great boyfriend... maybe even for Jessie, some day." Jackie replied wistfully.

"Are you out of your mind? She's in there, frozen to the bone, in a drug haze after ending an abusive relationship, and you're trying to play matchmaker?" Raven questioned.

"Jessie's safe with Cass, that's all I'm saying." Jackie shrugged.

Raven finally caught on and relaxed a little. A few moments later, Cassidy led Jessie, towel clad, out of the bathroom and through to his bedroom. About twenty minutes after that, Cassidy emerged and stood in front of Raven and Jackie.

"Jackie, I'm sorry I snapped at you. It wasn't your fault that Jessie locked herself in there. Scott, I'm sorry I got angry with you, too. I was completely out of line." Cassidy apologized.

"You're forgiven, Cass. Isn't he, Scotty?" Jackie urged.

"Yeah. How's Jessie?" Raven mumbled.

"She's still shaking but I don't know if that's from the cold or the drugs. I helped her into some warm clothes and she's in my bed, buried in blankets to try and warm her up." Cassidy explained.

"You know what the best way to warm someone up is?" Jessie asked. Raven saw the twinkle in her eye and dreaded the answer.

"What?" Cassidy wondered. Raven slapped his forehead. Cassidy just had to go and ask.

"Share your body heat with them." Jackie grinned. Cassidy stammered, trying to find a suitable reply. This only served to make Jackie laugh.

"So... had she got her hands on your razor? I didn't see any blood in the bathroom but... you never know." Raven asked, thankfully changing the subject.

"No cuts. But the razor wasn't where I left it." Cassidy replied, letting the implication behind the words hang in the air. Raven's cellphone started ringing and cut off any further conversation. He checked the caller id and sighed audibly before answering the call.

"Hey, Rod, what's up?" He wondered. Cassidy motioned to Raven that he wished to speak to Roderick after hearing his name.

"I was just wondering if... I mean, I was wondering how... you know what, just forget it." Roderick stumbled over his words.

"Rod, wait. Cassidy wants to talk to you." Raven told the younger man before handing the phone to Cassidy.

"Rods, I just thought you might like to know that Jessie's been muttering apologies to you for the last twenty minutes or so. From the sound of it, I'd say she's pretty genuine." Cassidy informed him.

"It's too late for apologies. Look at what she's done to herself... it never would have come to this if she'd just let me help her. I just don't understand why, or how, she'd do something like this... it isn't her." Roderick explained.

"Of course it isn't her. It's Austin. Now that she's away from him, things will get better. But she needs you to be part of this, man. She needs you to be there for her." Cassidy urged. Roderick sighed.

"I know. I just don't know what to say to her that I haven't already said. Not like it'll matter what anyone says, anyway. She's stubborn as hell and will end up doing things her own way no matter what. If she wants to keep doing drugs, that's what she's going to do." Roderick reasoned.

"Then we have to get her to realize what she'd lose if she did keep doing the drugs – her friends, her job... her life. She needs to see that we're just trying to help her." Cassidy figured.

"How do we show her all that, though?" Roderick asked, hoping that Cassidy had some kind of idea.

"Well, we start by getting you over here to talk to her and then see what happens next." Cassidy decided. Roderick laughed slightly.

"You haven't got a clue, have you?" He queried.

"Of course I do. Now I just need to collect the other clues and I'll have a set. Get your butt over here and talk to your best friend." Cassidy tried to lighten the mood slightly.

"Since when did you become Raven? Isn't he the one that usually gives orders like that?" Rod wondered.

"Fine, if you want to hear it from him, here." Cassidy stated before passing the phone back to Raven.

"Tell him to get over here." Cassidy whispered. Raven nodded and turned his attention to Roderick.

"Get over here. Jessie needs you and... so do the rest of us." Raven admitted. Jackie nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'm on my way." Roderick finally gave in. Raven ended the call and nodded at Cassidy.

"He's on his way. Do you really think she's coherent enough to talk to him?" He wondered.

"Maybe not quite but I have a feeling that him being here will bring her out of this faster." Cassidy replied honestly.

Raven had to agree, remembering the way she'd reacted to having Roderick there the previous night. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the hotel door. Cassidy ran over and opened it and let Roderick into the room. Roderick took one look at Jackie and paled slightly.

"What happened to you? Jessie didn't hit you, did she?" He asked quietly.

"I slipped in the bathroom and banged my head. Nothing major." Jackie covered. Roderick relaxed a little and looked around.

"I thought she would've trashed this place by now." He mused.

"We hogtied her and left her in the boot of Raven's car." Jackie stated with a straight face. If Roderick had been pale before, he looked absolutely transparent now.

"I'm kidding. God, you think we'd actually do that to someone?" Jackie clarified quickly.

"I would've. At least until she comes down off whatever it is that she's taken." Roderick whispered. Cassidy decided to break up the current line of conversation.

"She's in my room. I think you should go in and hear what it is that she's been saying for yourself." Cassidy told Roderick.

He nodded and wandered slowly towards the bedroom. He tapped on the door and opened it slowly, only to see Jessie sitting up in the middle of Cassidy's bed, her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees.

"Jessie?" Roderick whispered into the quiet room. Jessie looked up briefly but then let her head rest on her knees.

"Tell them to let me out, Rods, please. I feel trapped in here." Jessie pleaded.

"The door to the bedroom isn't locked. You could've walked out." Roderick pointed out.

"Why won't they let me go?" Jessie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because they care. I shouldn't be here." Roderick decided before turning back towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Rods." Jessie told him, her voice barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Sorry for what? Doing drugs or getting caught? Or maybe for not telling me that you were pregnant, or that you'd lost the baby because of the drugs that you took to kill the pain Austin put you through. Or maybe for going back to that asshole after he hit you the first time. What exactly is it that you're sorry for?" Roderick blurted out, angered by how calm she seemed to be. Everyone else was on edge but Jessie was as calm as could be.

"All of it. I'm sorry for all of it. You have no idea!" Jessie yelled, Roderick's anger becoming contagious.

"You're right, I don't. And you know why that is? Because you never told me, Jess. You let me think you had everything under control. Why? Why didn't you tell me?" Roderick wanted to know.

"Because I didn't want to see the disappointment in your eyes. I didn't want you to pity me, or think I was weak. I tried to be strong because I didn't want to lose you and Lacey. You two were the only reason I kept living and I couldn't show you how broken I was because I was scared you'd turn away." Jessie ranted, barely managing to form cohesive sentences.

"So instead of turning to us, the people that love you, you turned to drugs. Hell of a choice there, Jess. Really. Junkies are weak... they don't have the strength to stay away from the drugs. I'm not disappointed in you. I'm disgusted. It makes me sick to think of all the times I took you to the emergency room after Austin beat you. I could never work out why you went back to him but I know now. He got you the drugs, didn't he?" Roderick accused.

"Fuck off and leave me alone." Jessie replied. She was trying to work out if the pounding in her ears was from her heart or someone banging on the door.

"Fine. I'm gone. I hope you wake up alone one day and wonder what happened to all the people that used to care about you. And I hope you hear my voice in your head telling you that you brought it on yourself." Roderick told her before walking out of the bedroom and slamming the door behind him.

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**A/N2:** Things just seem to keep getting worse for Jessie, don't they? Never fear, there's more to come yet. Another three chapters, to be exact (thanksagain Lizzie. I should learn to write in chapters some day). Anyways, please leave a review to let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is accepted. Thank you for reading. 

_**Phoenix**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Chapter six, here we come! Thanks to everyone that's reviewed so far. It's almost over (sob) so I hope you'll all let me know what you think of the final few chapters. Onwards...

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Jessie sobbed into her knees for a few moments before uncurling herself and finding her cellphone. She needed something to take the edge off the hate and anger she'd just received from Roderick. The buzz from her fix was slowly wearing off and she couldn't let that happen, couldn't face reality without something dulling the pain. She knew just who to call, too. 

"Kevin? It's Jessie. I need a fix... please? You gotta help me." Jessie whispered into her phone. She dreaded what would happen if the others heard her.

"Jess... why the hell are you calling me directly? Talk to Austin if you need a fix." Kevin brushed her aside suspiciously.

"I... I can't go to Austin. I broke things off with him... please just help me?" Jessie pleaded again.

"Are you trying to get me busted? I can't deal to you, Jess. You've got to be fucking kidding me." Kevin laughed nervously before hanging up on Jessie.

"Fuck!" Jessie hissed as she threw her cellphone across the room. It hit the wall with a thud and landed behind a chair in the corner of the room.

Jessie pulled her legs to her chest and began sobbing into her knees once more. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't help her, why she was being kept prisoner in this hotel room. She had to get out, had to breathe. She couldn't think. Why was this happening?

"Jess, are you okay?" Cassidy asked after coming in to the room to check on her after talking to Roderick.

"I can't do it. I can't breathe... you have to let me go. Please?" Jessie pleaded, looking up into Cassidy's green eyes.

"Come here. It's going to be okay. You've got to calm down, though. If you keep working yourself up, you're going to make yourself sick." Cassidy soothed as he sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm already sick. I'm a fucked up junkie, didn't you know?" Jessie retorted, mocking Roderick's sentiments perfectly.

"You're just... confused. Everything will get clearer now. You just have to give it time." Cassidy tried to encourage her.

"What if I don't want it to get clearer? At least if it's fuzzy I can't tell that I'm alone." Jessie pointed out.

"You're not alone." Cassidy replied quietly. Jessie laughed hollowly.

"Not yet but, I will be. As soon as the drugs wear off, you and Raven will figure that I'll be fine on my own and you'll go back to living your lives. Roderick doesn't want to know me anymore. Lacey will agree with him as soon as he calls her and lets her know what's happening. Face it, I'm alone." Jessie pushed.

"You need some sleep. Lie down." Cassidy ordered, brushing aside her concerns. He understood where she was coming from but figured that it was mostly just drug induced ramblings.

"But... this is your room. I can't take your bed." Jessie refused.

"It's okay. I'll take the couch. Unless Jackie decides to stay because then Raven would give up his room for her and he'd take the couch. I'll take the floor out there if that happens." Cassidy mused.

"No... please don't leave me in here by myself. I... I don't want to be alone yet." Jessie stammered.

"I'll stay until you're asleep." Cassidy offered.

Jessie nodded and slowly lay down. Cassidy pulled the covers up over her and tucked them in around her tightly. He was about to go get the chair to sit in but Jessie grabbed his arm and pulled him down onto the bed beside her. Figuring it wasn't worth getting her upset over, Cassidy settled in and let Jessie curl herself into him. She was asleep within a matter of minutes.

Some time later, Jessie was woken by the sound of her cellphone ringing. Rolling over, she realized that Cassidy was no longer beside her. Climbing out of bed, Jessie made her way to the corner of the room and knelt down to retrieve her phone from behind the chair. Sitting down with her back to the wall, Jessie stared at the call id. Pressing the button to answer the call, Jessie slowly raised the phone to her ear.

"Austin?" She queried.

"Yeah, it's me. I know Raven doesn't want me calling you but I just talked to Kevin. He said you were in a bit of a state and thought he'd give you something to take the edge off." Austin stated flatly. Jessie cringed at the lack of emotion in his voice.

"Yeah, so?" Jessie asked, wondering what the point of this call really was.

"I've got a little something here for you. But you have to do something for me before I'll give it to you." Austin informed her.

"What do you want me to do?" Jessie inquired after pondering the offer for a moment.

"I want you to come back to Milwaukee with me. I've got our tickets sorted already. Just tell the others that you're going home to clear your head or something, okay? Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes." Austin told her before hanging up.

Jessie stared at the phone for a moment before crawling over to her suitcase. She pulled out some clothes and changed into them quickly before grabbing her Journal and ripping out a blank page. After locating a pen, she scrawled a hurried note for Cassidy, Raven, Jackie and Roderick.

Once that was done, she threw her Journal back into the suitcase, zipped it up and located her carry on bag. She carried the suitcase and bag to the door of the bedroom and opened it a crack, just enough to see that it was dark out there too. She crept out the bedroom door quietly and spotted Cassidy asleep on the couch.

After dropping the note onto the table, Jessie made her way out of the hotel room, closing the door after her as carefully as she could. She was finally free. She caught the elevator down to the lobby and found Austin quickly. He smiled when he saw her coming and opened his arms to her. She let him pull her into a hug and didn't look back as he led her out of the hotel.

The next morning, Cassidy woke to sunlight coming in through the curtains in the living room. He groaned and put an arm across his face, trying to block out the brightness. Realizing that it wasn't going to go away and that he had to get organized to fly home to New Orleans this afternoon, he slowly got up and headed to the kitchen to make a hot drink to wake himself up.

As he passed by the table, he spotted a piece of paper on it. Picking it up and taking it with him into the kitchen, he glanced over it before dropping it on the bench. He brushed a hand over his head and sighed.

"Damn it, Jess. What have you done now?" He muttered before picking the note up and heading for Raven's room.

He banged on the door a few times and then went in, not waiting for a reply. Raven was slowly waking up, rubbing a hand over his face. He looked up at Cassidy and groaned at the look on his face. He just knew something wasn't right.

"This had better be damn good, Cass." Raven muttered.

"She's gone. She went home." Cassidy explained as he shoved the note towards Raven. Raven took the piece of paper and tried to focus on it enough to read it.

'Raven, Cassidy, Jackie and Rods,

I'm sorry for leaving like this but I need to clear my head. I need to do it my way. I've been a burden on all of you for too long as it is. If anyone needs me, I'm heading home to Milwaukee. I'm sorry.

Jessie.'

"Well that's short and to the point." Raven figured after reading it. He sat up and brushed a hand over his head.

"Call Rod and see if she's called him or anything." He decided.

Cassidy nodded and went back into the living room and grabbed his cellphone. He located Roderick's number in a matter of seconds and let the phone dial it as he put it to his ear. It took a while but Roderick finally answered.

"What?" He mumbled, clearly still half asleep.

"Jessie's gone. She left a note saying she was going back to Milwaukee. Raven wants to know if she's called you or anything?" Cassidy blurted.

"She's what? Why would she go back now? She didn't call me. Hang on... I'll call Lacey and get her to call Jessie to find out what's going on." Roderick offered.

"Thanks, man. Let us know if you hear anything, okay?" Cassidy requested.

"Sure. Bye." Roderick farewelled before ending the call. Cassidy turned around and shook his head at Raven, who had just wandered into the room.

"He hasn't heard anything. He's calling Lacey and asking her to call Jessie." Cassidy informed him. Raven nodded.

"Alright then. Guess we just have to wait and see what's going on." Raven figured. Cassidy's phone rang, interrupting any further conversation.

"Rods, what's up?" Cassidy answered.

"Austin's gone. Alex was sharing with him so I called and asked him to check. I just thought I'd let you know that before I call Lacey. If Jess is with Austin... fuck." Roderick swore, realizing that the situation could be very bad.

"Don't stress yet. Call Lacey and see what she can find out." Cassidy reasoned calmly.

"I'll do that now. Talk to you again soon." Roderick agreed. Cassidy said goodbye and ended the call. Raven was watching him with a raised eyebrow. Cassidy let out a dispirited sigh.

"Austin's gone too." He told Raven. Raven groaned.

"She might not be with him. Maybe he went home with his tail between his legs after what happened yesterday. We can't assume anything, here." Cassidy jumped to her defense.

"Keep thinking that. You'll be the only one." Raven figured.

A few hours later, Raven and Cassidy had descended into an uneasy silence, each of them fearing the worst for Jessie's safety yet hoping for the best at the same time. They both jumped when someone banged on their door. Raven recovered quickly and walked over to open the door. He let Roderick in silently and closed the door after him. Cassidy got up from the couch and waited to hear what Roderick had to say.

"Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I called Lacey and she said she hadn't heard from Jessie. I asked her to try calling Jess and she tried a few times – so did I. Jess didn't answer either of us, it just rang and went to voicemail. Lacey called me back and said she was over at Jessie's place. It was still all locked up, no one there, nothing changed from when she checked it yesterday. She's going to stay there for a while to see if Jess turns up." Roderick explained in a rush.

"Fuck. Give me her number and let me try calling her. She could just be avoiding you. She won't know my number." Cassidy figured.

Roderick recited Jessie's cellphone number and Cassidy dialed it into his phone before hitting the call button. Roderick and Raven watched Cassidy's face, hoping for a sign that Jessie may have answered her phone before he actually spoke to her. No such luck. Cassidy's face clouded over as Jessie's voicemail kicked in.

"Jess, it's Cassidy. Call me back when you get this." Cassidy left a message, remembering to state his number, just in case she didn't get it off her phone.

"Where the hell is she?" Roderick mused, starting to pace around the hotel room.

"I could answer that but I think you already know what I'm going to say." Raven replied seriously.

"If she's with Austin, she's in trouble. We have to do something." Cassidy stated firmly.

"And what do you suggest we do, oh wise one?" Raven mocked Cassidy slightly, wondering if he really had any idea.

"Go after her." Cassidy answered before walking into his room to get his suitcase. Roderick and Raven shared a glance before Roderick shook his head and called after Cassidy.

"She made the choice to leave. She has to make the choice to call for help if she needs it." He reasoned. Raven went into his own room and grabbed his, already packed, suitcase – expecting what Cassidy said next.

"And what if she can't call for help because she's too busy getting the shit beaten out of her?" Cassidy queried.

"I'll meet you at the car." Roderick agreed before leaving their hotel room and heading for his own in order to grab his own suitcase.

Less than ten minutes later, the trio met up again in the parking garage. Cassidy loaded all their suitcases into the back of Raven's rental car as Raven and Roderick got in to the front seats. When he was done, Cassidy jumped into the backseat and put his seatbelt on as Raven revved the engine and spun the wheels. The car tore out of the parking place, out of the garage and onto the road, headed for the airport.

"I'll call ahead and book tickets." Roderick decided, needing to distract himself from thoughts of Jessie being hurt. Raven nodded as Roderick pulled his phone from his pocket.

"I'll try Jessie again." Cassidy spoke up, his phone already in his hand.

"How about I drive, then? Sound like a plan?" Raven joked, not getting a reply from either of the younger men.

Once they reached the airport (Cassidy having gotten no reply from Jessie), the three men each grabbed their suitcases before Raven locked up the car. They headed into the terminal, returned the rental and then made their way to the booking counter.

Roderick had reserved tickets for them on the next available flight, which was leaving within the hour. They paid for their tickets and checked their suitcases before being directed to the gate their flight would be leaving from. They were soon ushered onto the plane and tried to settle in for the flight from Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Once the flight landed and they'd managed to disembark (being stopped for autographs every few steps didn't help them much), Raven, Roderick and Cassidy headed out to find a car. Finally, they decided to just get a taxi to take them to Jessie's house so they could meet up with Lacey and see if anything had changed. After the taxi had pulled up outside Jessie's place, Lacey came out to meet them.

"Rods, I'm so glad to see you. Have you heard from her yet?" Lacey wondered as she gave Roderick a hug.

"No, nothing. I'm guessing she hasn't called you either. Lace, this is Cassidy and Scott, or Raven. They've been trying to help Jessie. Guys, this is Lacey Bordeaux." Roderick introduced his friends to each other.

"I saw Impact. I was really hoping it would make a difference but... god, I hope she's okay." Lacey fretted as she led the way into Jessie's house.

She'd been given Jessie's spare key years ago and Jessie had often told her to treat the place as a second home. Now she opened that invitation to Raven and Cassidy. The house was modest, by most standards, but had been furnished in a way that made it feel warm and homely.

There were photos of Jessie's friends and family - and Austin - all over the place. Cassidy took the time to look at a few of them as Raven and Roderick talked to Lacey. Jessie looked so happy and carefree in all the photos Austin wasn't in. She barely smiled in the ones she was in with him. Cassidy had to look away, he couldn't bare to see the sadness in her eyes.

"Lacey, why don't you try calling Austin and see if you can get anything out of him? I doubt that he'd talk to any of us." Raven suggested.

Lacey nodded and dialed Austin's cellphone number on Jessie's house phone. She put it onto speaker so the guys could listen in. After ringing a few times, the phone was answered at the other end.

"Hello?" Austin asked hesitantly. He was wondering why someone was calling him from Jessie's house.

"Austin, it's Lacey. I was just wondering if you knew where Jessie was. I've been trying to get in touch with her about Shadow but she isn't answering her phone. Rods doesn't know where she is either." Lacey told Austin calmly, making up a story about Jessie's beloved cat, Shadow.

"I haven't seen her since Impact, Lace. She's probably hiding out somewhere." Austin replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"But why wouldn't she answer her phone? I'm really worried about her." Lacey pressed.

"Ask Roderick to look for her then. I've got my own problems." Austin suggested before hanging up. Lacey turned to look at the three guys and was surprised to see a similar look on all their faces.

"He's hiding something." Cassidy put voice to what they were all thinking.

"Can we borrow your car, Lacey? We're going to go pay Austin a visit." Raven decided.

"Sure, but you might want to let Rod drive. It can be a little temperamental." Lacey agreed, handing her keys to Roderick.

"Stay put and call me if anything changes here, okay?" Roderick asked.

"I'm not leaving until I see Jessie." Lacey assured him. Roderick gave her one last hug before the guys headed out to her beat up old car.

"Does this thing actually go?" Raven wondered, taking in the sight of it.

"It does if you know how to start it. Knowing how to keep it running helps, too, of course." Roderick laughed as they piled into the car.

He got the car running within a matter of seconds and set off towards Austin's house. Cassidy was fidgeting in the backseat nervously. Raven turned back to look at him and waved a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Cass. Anyone in there?" He teased. Cassidy looked up at him and faked a smile.

"Yeah, I'm still here. Just wondering if Jessie is." He replied seriously.

"Jessie's tough. She won't give him the satisfaction of breaking her." Raven figured.

"She's already broken, man. Seriously, if you'd met her back when I did, you'd know that she's not the same person anymore. She's given in to him so many times, she doesn't know how not to give in anymore." Roderick pointed out.

Raven watched as the expression on Cassidy's face got even darker. He reached out a hand and squeezed Cassidy's shoulder, hoping to offer him a little strength. Cassidy looked up at him in confusion but Raven merely nodded to let him know he understood what Cassidy was feeling – even if Roderick hadn't seen it yet.

"So what's the plan when we get there?" Roderick asked, filling the silence that had descended upon the car.

"Wing it." Raven decided. He'd been trying to think up some sort of plan of action but wasn't sure what Austin's reaction would be when they turned up. Unpredictable elements make for impossible planning.

"Wing it? Boy, that's original." Roderick smirked. Raven almost laughed, despite the tension of the situation.

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**A/N2:** Look, a cliffhanger. Um, anyway, this is the third to last chapter, although the last chapter is just an epilogue. So, really, this is the second to last chapter. All the good stuff gets played out in the next chapter. Leave me a review and let me know what you think. Are you as annoyed by cliffhangers as I usually am when I'm reading a fic? Thanks, 

_**Phoenix**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Well, this is the final chapter, bar the epilogue which isn't really very long at all. I just want to take this time to thank everyone that reviewed, especially Lizzie and Stacy. I truly appreciate the kind words that you sent and it honestly makes me try harder with my writing, just so I can get more awesome reviews from you guys. Thanks and huge hugs. Let me know what you think of this chapter...

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Before long, Roderick pulled the car into Austin's driveway. He shut off the engine and sat looking up at the house. Raven and Cassidy seemed to be in the same sort of trance – at least until Cassidy made the first move and got out of the car. He was already heading for the house by the time Roderick and Raven had snapped into motion. Cassidy banged on the front door as his friends finally caught up. Austin opened the door, saw the three of them and tried to close the door again. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's the deal?" Raven asked, pushing the door inwards again. Austin gave up trying to force the door closed and let it open, leaving him to stare into three very angry faces.

"What do you want?" Austin asked, trying to keep himself calm.

"Heard anything from Jessie since Impact?" Raven asked quickly, not bothering to sugarcoat his dislike for the younger man.

"No, I haven't. Is this about that stupid cat?" Austin wondered.

"Not quite. This is about Jessie having disappeared." Roderick told him honestly, watching his face closely. He noticed the flicker of realization appear for a moment before Austin wiped his face clean and put a stony look in it's place.

"Like I told Lacey, she's probably just hiding out somewhere. You know what she's like, Rod. She's a complete flake." Austin replied, the corner of his mouth creeping up into a smirk.

"You made her that way! You fucking piece of shit!" Cassidy yelled as he lunged forward and tried to hit Austin.

Raven caught hold of him and pulled him away from the door. Austin took the opportunity and slammed the door in Roderick's face. Roderick heard the lock click into place and turned to stare at Cassidy. Where had that outburst come from? If anything, it should have been Roderick, himself, to try and attack Austin – Jessie was his best friend, after all.

"Calm down, Cass." Raven stated calmly, still physically trying to restrain him.

"Get off me." Cassidy ordered as he pushed Raven away. He started to walk back towards Lacey's car but then changed direction. Raven shook his head as he watched Cassidy disappear around the side of Austin's house.

"This isn't what I meant by winging it." Raven muttered to Roderick as they silently agreed to follow Cassidy.

"You guys, get over here." Cassidy's voice called out. It sounded like he was trying to be quiet but there was an urgency in his voice that made Raven and Roderick speed up.

"What's up?" Raven wondered when they met up with Cassidy. He was standing at a window and pointed towards it.

"Something in there look familiar to anyone else?" Cassidy asked. Raven and Roderick both peered into the window to see what Cassidy meant.

"Jessie's necklace. Lacey gave it to her for her birthday last year." Roderick whispered to Raven. The necklace was laying on the floor, as if it had been torn from around Jessie's neck and tossed aside.

"She was wearing it last night." Cassidy remembered.

"She never takes it off. Sometimes she hides it under her shirt but it's always there." Roderick confirmed. The trio shared worried glances before Raven decided, finally, on a plan of action.

"Rod, go back to the car, start it up and go park further up the street. Call the cops from there and explain what's going on. Cass, you and I are going to the door again. I'll take care of Austin and you'll go in and look around." Raven explained quickly.

The younger men nodded in agreement before they all sprang into action. Raven held Cassidy back as Roderick pulled the car out of Austin's driveway. Once the car was out of sight, Raven turned his attention to the curtains in the living room. They shifted back into place and Raven knew Austin had seen the car leave. He was hoping Austin hadn't seen that there was only one person in it.

"Now." He told Cassidy before he headed for the door.

Cassidy followed close behind him and waited as Raven banged on the door. When Austin pulled the door open, Raven punched him in the temple, knocking him out. Austin's body fell to the floor. Raven stepped into the house and stood over Austin before turning towards Cass.

"Go. Let me know if you find her." Raven commanded.

Cassidy wasted little time in making his way into the house and down the hall into the bedroom he'd looked into through the window. He picked up Jessie's necklace and played it through his fingers as he looked around the room a little. Blood spots... on the wall and the carpet. Cassidy bent to inspect the blood, being careful not to touch it. It was definitely fresh.

Cassidy went back into the living room and forcefully rolled Austin onto his back. He looked him over, checking for shaving slip ups or other cuts. Not finding any, Cassidy checked Austin's knuckles. They were bruised and swollen.

"She's here somewhere, man. There's blood in the bedroom, his knuckles are messed up." Cassidy explained. Raven had been content to let the younger man do his investigation and now nodded in understanding.

"Keep looking. Don't touch her if you find her, though. The cops should be here soon." He told Cassidy calmly.

Cassidy nodded and made his way further into the house. After looking through the other bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom, Cassidy was getting frustrated. Other than the necklace and blood in Austin's room, there were no signs of Jessie being there at all.

"Fuck. Where are you, Jess. I know you're here somewhere." He muttered to himself as he made his way back towards Raven.

"Nothing. Wake his scummy ass up and beat it out of him." Cassidy suggested, motioning towards Austin's still lifeless body.

"It'll be easier to have him out when the cops get here." Raven shrugged.

"Fucking piece of scum sucking shit." Cassidy cursed, attempting to kick Austin. Raven pulled him away from the unconscious body and held his face between his hands so that Cassidy was forced to look at him.

"You need to calm down and focus on Jessie, not Austin. You said yourself that she's here somewhere. Find her." Raven urged. Cassidy nodded as best he could and went back to search the house again.

Moments later, Roderick came into the house with two police officers following him. He took one look at Austin on the ground and raised his eyebrow at Raven. Raven shrugged calmly.

"He tripped, knocked himself out." He stated. Roderick caught the look in his eye and didn't question him further. No point in having Raven arrested for assaulting Austin.

"Any sign of Jessie?" Roderick asked hopefully.

"None yet. Cass said that there's blood in the bedroom – you guys might want to go take a look. Cassidy's around here somewhere, still searching." Raven explained.

"We're going to need backup." One of the police officers told the other. The second officer stepped outside and radioed for backup as the first officer made his way down the hall to look at the blood in the bedroom.

"Cassidy, cops are here." Raven called out.

Cassidy made his way back to the living room and paced the floor, rubbing a hand over his head in disbelief of the fact that he hadn't been able to find Jessie. Roderick looked worriedly at Raven and Raven shook his head, knowing that Cassidy wouldn't calm down until Jessie was found.

The second officer made his way back inside and began taking statements, starting with Raven who seemed to be the calmer of the three other conscious men in the room. Once he'd heard Raven's story, he took Roderick aside. Cassidy continued pacing.

"Tom, can you come help me with something." The first officer called out. The second officer, Tom, made his way over to his partner and they had a whispered conversation. Tom nodded and motioned for Cassidy to join them.

"Have any of you been down to the basement?" Tom asked Cassidy calmly.

"I didn't know this place had a basement. We haven't been down there." Cassidy answered, mentally kicking himself for not investigating the idea of a basement. Tom and his partner nodded and motioned for Cassidy to go back over to Raven and Roderick.

"Did you know this place has a fucking basement?" Cassidy asked Roderick. Of any of them, he'd be the one to know.

"I... yeah, I guess so. I mean, I've never been down there but... yeah I guess I knew." Roderick nodded, wondering why Cassidy had asked.

"She's down there. Jessie's down there. What are they waiting for?" Cassidy questioned desperately.

"Their backup will be here soon. They can't go down and leave us up here to tamper with evidence or whatever." Raven figured.

Cassidy agreed distractedly and began pacing the room again. Before long, the backup arrived and Tom and his partner explained the situation. Tom was sent back over to Raven, Cassidy and Roderick soon after.

"I'm going to have to ask you three to come outside with me. Officer Walker will take care of Mr Aries." Tom told them.

Raven nodded and motioned for Roderick to follow Tom out, then he grabbed Cassidy by the shoulders and pushed him out of the house ahead of himself. Cassidy tried to protest leaving but Raven shoved him out the door and then stood between the younger man and the entrance to the house.

"Why are we standing out here. Jessie's in there somewhere... we have to find her." Cassidy stated adamantly.

"Let them do their job, Cass. They'll find her." Roderick assured him, hoping he sounded more sure of it than he felt.

"I should've found her." Cassidy muttered, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach now that he wasn't inside. He couldn't see what the cops were doing, didn't know if they'd found her yet.

"You tried, Cass. You did a good job convincing us not to leave." Raven reminded him.

Cassidy barely acknowledged it. He was watching the front door, waiting to see if anyone would come out to let them know what was going on. His patience was wearing thin and he desperately wanted to be inside, to go down into the basement and to see Jessie. He was sure she was down there. And he was sure that she wouldn't want to be faced with 5 unfamiliar police officers – if she was conscious enough, or even still alive. She would need a familiar face.

"One of us should be allowed in there. She'll freak out seeing a bunch of guys she doesn't know... even if they are cops." Cassidy voiced his thoughts.

"Give them a chance to check things out." Raven told him calmly, though he agreed with what Cass had just said. He knew that they'd just be in the way at this stage.

After a tense few minutes, Tom's radio flared to life. He listened intently for a moment before turning the volume down. Shaking his head, he pulled Raven aside. Roderick took it upon himself to make sure Cassidy didn't make a break for the door.

"Seems they found the girl. They've called for an ambulance. I can let one of you go in there but I don't think it should be him, he's too worked up." Tom told Raven seriously, motioning towards Cassidy.

"I'll let you tell him that." Raven joked. Tom paled visibly which made Raven laugh.

"I was kidding. I'll tell him. Rod should be the one to go in – he's her best friend." He decided. Tom nodded and the pair made their way back over to Cassidy and Roderick.

"Rod, go with the officer, would you." Raven told him without explaining the situation. Roderick nodded and followed Tom towards the house.

"What's going on?" Cassidy asked Raven suspiciously.

"They found Jessie. The call on the radio was them calling for an ambulance. Rod's going in to be with her. You're too worked up, you'd stress her out." Raven told him honestly. Cassidy glared at him.

"I have to see her, man. I have to..." Cassidy trailed off. Raven nodded.

"I understand how you feel, Cass, I really do. But right now it's better that Rod's there for her. He's a lot calmer than you are. Just take a few breaths and we'll see what happens, okay?" Raven replied, trying to calm the man down.

"I guess you're right. Rod's her best friend. I just... I feel useless." Cassidy stammered. Raven reached out a hand and squeezed his shoulder.

"You're far from useless. If it wasn't for you going around the back of the house, we wouldn't have been able to prove that she was here." Raven pointed out, just as an ambulance pulled into the driveway.

The paramedics wasted no time in getting a gurney out and heading into the house. Raven felt Cassidy trying to pull away from him so he squeezed his shoulder again, reminding him he wasn't going anywhere just yet. They stood in silence and waited, hoping for the best but not able to avoid thoughts of the worst. Had they found Jessie in time? Had the paramedics gotten to her soon enough?

A few moments later, Tom came back out to where they were standing. He offered them a weak smile but looked a little green around the gills. Raven guessed that Jessie must have been in a pretty bad way if it had affected him this much.

"What's going on?" Cassidy asked quickly. Tom took a deep breath before answering.

"She's been beaten to within an inch of her life, I'd say. She's a mess. Rod's in there holding her hand while they get her ready for the trip to the hospital." Tom explained.

Two officers appeared at the door then, Austin stumbling between them. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he was still a little dazed. Tom scoffed a little.

"Tripped and knocked himself out, huh? I'll believe that." He smiled. Raven cleared his throat a little and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, he... uh... hit his head on my fist." He admitted. Tom nodded.

"I didn't just hear that, okay? He deserved it." He told them.

Cassidy glared at Austin, wanting the officers to leave him alone, even if only for a minute. A fist to the temple would be the least of his worries if they did. His attention was only diverted from Austin when Raven tapped him and motioned to the door. The paramedics were bringing Jessie out on the gurney, Rod following close behind them.

Rod's hands were covered in blood but he was oblivious to it. Cassidy made his way over and the paramedics thankfully stopped wheeling her to the ambulance for a moment so that Cassidy and Raven could see her. A sheet was pulled up, almost to Jessie's chin. Her face was a bloody mess but they could tell that she was actually conscious – just.

"Hey, you. You're hard to find when you play hide and seek, ya know." Raven joked. Jessie laughed slightly but cringed in pain and started coughing. Once the coughing fit was over, she reached out a hand to Cassidy.

"I heard your voice... you were so close but I couldn't call out. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I should've listened to you guys." She told him, sobs building up and overtaking her.

"It's okay. It's all over now. You're safe." Cassidy assured her. She nodded and tried to get the sobs under control.

"What's going to happen now?" Roderick wondered aloud.

"Hospital, then rehab." Jessie spoke up before the paramedics continued on their way to the ambulance. Roderick looked from Raven to Cassidy, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll go with her. You guys go get Lacey." Cassidy decided. Raven chose not to disagree with him and nodded.

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**A/N2:** So... this is the end. The epilogue chapter will be up soon. It's just a quick chapter to tie up any loose ends. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and the story as a whole. I truly appreciate the reviews. Thanks all. 

**_Phoenix_**


	8. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything or anyone connected to TNA. This story is pure fiction and was not written for profit of any kind (although some ego boosting reviews would be nice). I do own the characters that you do not recognize. They are a product of my overactive imagination. 

**A/N:** Well, this is just a quick chapter to tie everything up and hopefullyset up the sequel. Thank you all for reading and more thanks to those who reviewed. **_Phoenix

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**EPILOGUE:**

_**Jessie Carmichael**_ spent just over six months in hospital recovering from several injuries she sustained in the assault by Austin Aries. She stayed with Lacey Bordeaux for a few months once she was out of hospital as she needed assistance with everyday activities due to ongoing recovery. Once she was able, she checked herself into a rehab clinic in order to kick her drug habit.

**_Cassidy Riley_** called Jessie at least once a day during her hospital stay and her time with Lacey. The pair formed a strong bond. Once Jessie was in rehab, their calls became less frequent due to Jessie's desire to focus on kicking her habit. This didn't weaken their bond, however. It caused them to realize how much they really felt for each other.

**_Roderick Strong_** began dating **_Lacey Bordeaux_** a few months after Jessie went into rehab. The pair had always been close friends but it was Jessie who finally clued them into the feelings that they both secretly harbored for the other person. Needless to say, Rod and Lacey were quite happy together.

**_Scott 'Raven' Levy_** remains in contact with Jessie. She views him as her mentor, her protector, her big brother figure. Raven, Roderick and Cassidy all continue to work for TNA. Roderick and Cassidy are still close to Raven, both believing they wouldn't have been able to help Jessie if he hadn't stepped in when he did.

**_Austin Aries_** is currently serving prison time for the assault of Jessie Carmichael. When TNA management heard about what had happened, they fired him immediately, not wanting to promote violence outside of the wrestling ring.

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**A/N2: **Well, now it's officially over. As I said, this was just to tie up loose ends and bring everything together for a sequel that I am slowly working on. With that and a joint fic going, I think I'm going to be busy for a while. If you feel like leaving me a review for this, go ahead. It won't be expected, since it's not really much of anything. Thanks. **_Phoenix_**


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